


A Place to call home

by fan_fic_fanatic



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Multi, My First Work in This Fandom, Older Eren Yeager, Rating May Change, Switch Eren Yeager, Switch Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Younger Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:15:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 39
Words: 201,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25621993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fan_fic_fanatic/pseuds/fan_fic_fanatic
Summary: I'm terrible at summariesLevi Ackerman is a teenager who finds himself taking care of 4 kids no matter what the cost to him. They live wherever they can, and despite their measly things, they are rather happy together. That all changes when the children get taken out of Levi's custody. Now he fights to get them back with the help of some new friends.A slow build story about younger Levi with older Eren.
Relationships: Armin Arlert/Annie Leonhart, Erwin Smith/Hange Zoë, Levi/Eren Yeager, Reiner Braun/Bertolt Hoover
Comments: 180
Kudos: 308





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first Attack on Titan fan fic, and only my second fan fic overall. I've been reading lots of A/u setting Eren/Levi stories and decided to give this a go. It's a slop build but does have a higher rating for later chapters. The title is a working title for now, so if anyone has better suggestions leave them in the comments. Also as you read if there's something you want to see happen later on feel free to let me know as well. 
> 
> I've been out of writing for a long time so I'm really sorry that this isn't as good as other people's writing, but I hope you enjoy it anyways. Feedback is appreciated.Thanks!

Levi sighed as he slumped into the worn tattered couch of the abandoned home, he and his adopted siblings had hidden in. He was tired and sore and could barely move. His most recent client had been exceptionally rough and at the sound of pitter-pattering feet Levi zipped up his hoodie more so no one would see the bruises that were already forming. He looked over tiredly to see a pair of grey eyes like his own watching him from the arm of the couch.

“Hey Mikasa, you shouldn’t be up honey.” Levi told her as he motioned for her to join him. She climbed onto the couch, a great effort on her part, since she was still so small, and curled up to Levi. Eyes that seemed older than the young child she was stared at him.

“You were gone. I stayed up waiting for you.”

“You don’t need to do that Mika.” He shuffled them so he was laying on the couch, Mikasa on his chest. She gripped onto him tightly and he was careful not to let the girl see him wince from the pain. She nuzzled into him and he stroked her hair absently as he began to fall asleep. His life may be hell, but at least he had these little rug rats to make it worth something.

Far too soon Levi was awoken to Connie and Sasha yelling at one another as they fought over something in the kitchen. Levi groaned, knowing the little monster Sasha had probably stolen all of the food they had. He carefully moved Mikasa off of him, trying not to wake her, but his he saw her wiping her eyes as he moved towards the kitchen.

“Oi! What’s all the ruckus you little brats?”

“Sasha ate the bread I kept for you.” Connie yelled glaring at Sasha as she shoved the remainder of the food in her mouth all at once.

“Sasha I’m not going to steal it from you. Stop shoving that much food in your mouth you’re going to choke.” Turning to Connie he rubbed the boys head. “She can eat my share. I’ll find something else later. Go get ready for school.”

“I don’t see the point in going.” Jean muttered as he walked into the kitchen. He was the oldest of the children, second to Levi who had turned 19 this year. “Not like we’ll ever be productive members of society. And I’m getting sick of everyone picking on us.” Jean tried to run the water, but when it sputtered, he ended up tossing the cup at the wall. “This fucking sucks!”

“Language.” Levi warned. “And you’re all going to school, so you don’t have to live like this forever. He handed Jean a wad of cash. “Here, it’s all I have for now. Go get ready and walk the others to school. Grab some breakfast on the way.” Sasha’s eyes brightened at the sound of food. “I have to get ready for work.”

“Yeah yeah.” Jean groaned. “Come on brats, you heard the old geezer.”

“He’s only 3 years older than you know.” Connie spat back.

“Congratulations you can add and subtract.” Jean picked up Mikasa and carried her over to the sacks they had with clothes. He looked at her seriously, pressing his forehead to hers. “Whatever you do, don’t end up like these two, you got it?” Mikasa nodded.

Levi chuckled as he threw on a pair of black jeans and his work shirt. He saw Jean staring at him. “What’s the problem horse face?”

Jean rubbed his hand on his own neck and Levi frowned. He went into the bathroom to look at the shattered mirror. Bruises had already begun to form on his neck from the man’s hand prints. He looked down at his wrists seeing the bruises there as well from the tight bonds he had been in last night. Jean threw a long sleeve shirt at him from the entry way. “It won’t hide all that neck though.” Jean said quietly as he leaned against the door. He was watching the others to make sure they were getting ready as Levi took off his work shirt, hissing when he moved the wrong way. Jean let out a small noise when he saw the bruise on Levi’s side from being kicked last night too.

“Don’t say anything.” Levi warned as he shoved the long sleeve shirt on, popping the collar up. He’d look stupid but better than his day job seeing the marks from his night job.

“You’re going to end up getting killed one of these days.” Jean warned not looking at Levi. “Then where are we going to be?”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. I can handle a few rough clients. Besides he paid extra when he realized he was too rough.”

Jean sighed “I can get a job now too you know. Help out so you don’t need to keep selling yourself.”

“You need to be here for them. I will take care of the money. There’s enough there we can stay a couple nights in a hotel.” Levi smiled at him “Actually have some running water, get some laundry done.”

“Yeah yeah. I’ll get us a room after school at Zoe’s. The owner is a little crazy but gave us a deal the last time we stayed.

“Do you work tonight?” Jean asked. He started to stuff what little belongings they all had into their backpacks so they wouldn’t need to come back there after school.

“Yes.” Levi caught the scowl the man gave. “Try to make that money last for dinner too if you can. I should have some tip money, but day shift usually doesn’t bring in much.”

The group of four kids walked together to their schools. Mikasa was holding onto Levi’s hand as they walked. She was quiet and kept glancing up at Levi but didn’t say anything. Connie and Sasha chatted together, Connie forgetting he mad at her like he usually did. At the intersection where Levi left them to go to work, he gave Jean Mikasa’s hand and waved them all goodbye. Connie and Sasha waved back telling him to have a good day at work.

As Levi expected, the diner was slow that day. He kept himself busy cleaning every surface he could. While he usually had to live in dirty, dingy conditions, he preferred everything to be neat and tidy. Every counter was perfectly arranged for new customers. The owner, an old man by the name of Reeves, smiled at him with his arms crossed. “You’re by far the cleanest worker I have.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“I wish I could help you out more kid.” Reeves sighed as he leaned back. “Unfortunately, business hasn’t been great. Might be time to throw in the towel.”

Levi swung around to look at the man. “You’re closing?”

“Yeah, been spending more money trying to keep the place open than I’ve been bringing in. To be honest kid, I’ve been trying to keep it up to help you out.”

Levi sat down at the counter. “When do you think you’ll close?”

“End of the month. Give you some time to look for another job. I’ll be happy to recommend you if ya find something. I’m really sorry kid.”

“No sir. I understand.” Levi tried to not look disappointed. He liked the small diner, and while it didn’t pay much at least he didn’t feel gross and used after working a shift here. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll manage somehow.”

Levi walked to the establishment he worked at. It was an illegal brothel in the shady part of town. The cops knew about it, but never bothered them as long as the staff didn’t hit the streets to find customers and the staff didn’t look like prostitutes when they entered and left. Many of the cops in the area were actually clients.

Levi’s first client tonight was a woman. He had long since stopped caring who came in to see him. Man or woman, him being top or bottom. None of it mattered to him anymore. He went through the motions making sure his clients were happy with their service. He’d seen this woman a few times now, and he knew if he distracted her enough, she wouldn’t even notice his bruises from last night. She was in her 30’s but looked good for her age. She smiled at Levi when she walked into the restaurant he was meeting her. Levi kissed her on the cheek. “It’s a pleasure to see you again Petra.” He said as he steered her towards the bed. “What can I do for you today?

“Can-Can you do what you did last time?” Petra asked him with a blush on her cheeks. He smiled into her neck. He enjoyed the softer types over the ones who were aggressive like his client last night. Happy he wouldn’t need to explain new bruises to his siblings, yet he nodded to the woman.

“Anything for you dear.” He said as he inched his hands up her shirt and unhooked her bra with one hand. He had become a pro at removing all types of clothing, although it was a skill he couldn’t exactly put on a resume. Not that he really knew how to make one of those anyways. Pushing up her shirt he sucked on one of her supple breasts, the nipple hardening in his mouth, his other hand massaged the other breast, teasing the nipple with his fingers. He looked up at her as she brought her hands into his hair and moaned. His other hand worked to unbutton her pants as she ground into him. He let go of her nipple with a small pop then switched sides giving the other breast the attention he had given the first. Satisfied with the look in his clients eyes he kissed his way down her body kneeling in front of the bed and pulling off her tight jeans, never breaking eye contact as he hooked her legs around his shoulders and licked her slit slowly at first. She gripped onto his hair tighter and pushed him forward. He hummed into her which caused her to moan again. He began to stroke two of his fingers in her as he sucked on her clit. Her legs tightened around him like a vice grip. Maybe if he was lucky and he did a good enough job she’d be satisfied with just this, as he was finding it difficult to get hard. He hooked his fingers, so he hit the right spot and continued licking and sucking. She ground into him, making it hard for him to breathe but he could feel her getting close already. She came on his face and he licked at the juices until she pushed him away. He leaned back still on his knees and looking up at her. She smiled at him blissfully, stroking his hair back into place. “Thank you. I needed that after today.”

Levi smiled at her and climbed back on top of her. He kissed her neck again. He avoided kissing people on the lips when he could. It was stupid of him, but he felt it was more intimate than the actual deed and preferred to remain unattached to everyone who walked in. “I can give you more.” He suggested but thankfully Petra shook her head. Giving each breast some attention, he shifted above her to put her bra and shirt back into place. Petra stood up and put her pants back on herself. Reaching into the back pocket, she pulled out the money for his services.

“You really are gorgeous.” She said stroking his cheek.

“I hope to see you again Petra.” Levi said seductively leaning into her hand.

“Hmm, I hope so too.”

Luckily, the rest of Levi’s night was rather uneventful. He met up with one more client about half an hour after leaving Petra. No more bruises, although one client had walked out on him after seeing his marks saying he was damaged. The woman had no clue how truthful that statement was. She had given him half of the money he was supposed to get but considering it was for nothing, Levi didn’t really mind.

Another hour’s walk back to the hotel Jean had rented for the next few nights after his shift. He flipped up his hood as he walked alone late at night. He hoped someone was still at the front desk at this hour, because he wasn’t sure what room the kids were in. If he couldn’t figure it out, he’d just sleep nearby or go back to the abandoned house until morning, but the idea of a warm shower and an actual bed were far more enticing.

When he got to the hotel, he was rather surprised to see the hotel’s owner Hange Zoe. She smiled at him when he walked in recognizing him. “Good morning sweetie, I was wondering where you were when you didn’t come in with the others.”

“I just got off of work.” Levi explained while not getting into details. Hange eyed him carefully but didn’t press him for information, which he was thankful for.

“You look beat hun. Here’s your room key.” She held out the key for him and focused her attention to the bruises on his wrists. Levi scowled and tried to cover them with his shirt.

“Thanks.” Levi grabbed the room key and walked away, shoving his hands in his pockets. He made his way to the room on the key and walked in as quietly as he could. Jean was laying on his back with all 3 of the younger children laying on him, all blissfully sleeping. Jean opened one of his eyes when he heard Levi enter, but seeing it was Levi he shut it again and fell back asleep. Levi locked the door behind him before trudging to the bathroom. Waiting for the water to warm up he took his clothes off and looked at the bruises. Jean had made a makeshift clothes hanger throughout the bathroom and the hotel room, which had all of their clothes hanging up to dry. Levi pulled out the clothes he wore today for his first job out of his backpack. While he was in the shower, he scrubbed all his clothes with the bar of soap provided by the hotel. The warm water felt blissful to him and he stayed under the spray until it began to cool. Adding his clothes to the hanger, Levi put on a pair of boxers and a t-shirt and lied down in the second bed. As he was beginning to fall asleep, he felt a shift in the bed and saw Mikasa had made her way over to him. He pulled the young girl close as he fell asleep before beginning the cycle again tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have quite a few chapters already completed so I'll be quick to update at the beginning. Thanks to everyone who's given kudos so far! I tried to make everyone like their characters but some might seem a little OC.

The phone rang at the diner while Levi was cleaning up a table from his second customer today. He had already been her for 2 hours. Reeves picked it up. Levi paid it no mind as he put the dishes in the sink. “Hey kid, it’s the school.” The owner said.

Levi took the phone from his hands, hoping Jean didn’t get into a fight with anyone and that everyone was alright. “Hello?”

“Good afternoon Mr. Ackerman. My name is Erwin Smith. I’m the principle at Connie and Sasha’s school.” The man sounded gruff, but kind. Levi had never met the principle, only their teacher. “I would like to set up a meeting to speak with you.”

“Has something happened? Are Connie and Sasha ok?”

“Yes, everyone is fine, however there are some concerns I would like to talk about in person. Would you be available at 3 today?”

“I’m supposed to be working until 5 today, uh hold on.” Levi glanced over at Reeves. “The principle at my siblings school wants to meet me at 3 would it be alright if I leave early?”

“Yeah sure kid.” He spread his arms “I’m sure I can handle this slew of customers alone.”

Levi nodded in appreciation. “My boss said its ok.”

“Good, thank you very much. I will see you at 3 then.

Levi arrived on time and cautiously walked into the front office of the school. Hello, I’m Levi Ackerman. He told the front desk lady. Mr. Smith wanted to see me.

The woman looked at him in confusion. “Oh. There might be a misunderstanding. Mr. Smith has a meeting with their parents…”

“Well then he’s going to have to pull out a Ouija board. I’m their guardian.” Levi growled at the woman. She frowned but made the call to Mr. Smith letting him know Levi was there. She motioned for him to sit down and heard her talking quietly as he looked around the office.

“Mr. Ackerman?” A tall man asked. Levi recognized the voice from the phone call. Levi stood up and nodded. The man held out his hand for Levi and he shook it. “Come into my office.” Erwin motioned to the open door at the end of the hallway. “Have a seat.”

Levi did as he was told bushing a hand down the front of his shirt to try a push out the wrinkles. “What is this about? Last time the kids showed me their grades they were doing alright, and I make sure they come to school every day.”

“Academically Sasha and Connie are doing fine, however I’d like to address some concerns with their home environment.” Levi frowned and gripped onto his shirt sleeve. “The teachers have noticed that the children come to school in the same clothing frequently. The lunch staff have also commented on their eating habits and are concerned they aren’t getting enough at home.” Erwin explained as he folded his hands on his desk.

“They’re clothes are always clean, even if they don’t have much.” Levi said defensively “I make sure everyone has enough to eat. Sasha just eats a lot. Connie tends to try and hoard food for her when he can, so she doesn’t eat other people’s food.”

Erwin nodded at him and smiled. “I understand that you’re doing the best you can.” Levi’s scowl deepened. “However, there is some concern that it is too much for one person to handle. After speaking to Connie and Sasha, they said you also take care of two other children at our different schools?”

“My little cousin Mikasa is in kindergarten, and Jean is in high school.” Levi said carefully. Erwin nodded again and wrote something down on his paper.

“And where do you all live?” Erwin asked pointedly looking Levi in the eye. “What do you do for work?”

“I work at a diner.” Levi responded. He wasn’t going to tell this man about his other ‘job’. For one, he wasn’t about to have this man judge him like so many others. He also didn’t want him to know the kids were alone at night. He also tried to hedge around their living situation. “I make enough to get us by. If you want them to have more clothes, I’ll take them shopping today, and I’ll send extra food with them.”

Erwin frowned. “Young man I understand you are trying to do the best you can.” He repeated from earlier. “But these children need more than what you are able to provide- “

“I won’t let you put them into foster care.” Levi said standing up and clenching his fists. “You have no idea what we all have already been through.” He smacked his chest with his fist “I know what they need. I can take care of them. I’ll do more if I have to. I’ll do whatever the hell you want. But foster will ruin them. They’ll split them up and they’ll likely run away.” Levi was furiously holding back tears trying not to think of his own childhood.

“Mr. Ackerman…”

“You say you want to do what’s best for them, but have you ever asked them what they think? Have they complained about anything?”

“Sasha said she was worried about you.” Erwin said softly. “She was concerned you won’t come home one night. I’m assuming she’s not referring to your job at the diner.”

Levi slumped back into the chair dejectedly. He knew Jean understood, but he didn’t think the others did. Erwin took his silence as an opportunity to continue.

“I am not trying to judge you or your situation. However, I am obligated to step in at this point. It is very clear how important the children are to you, and you to them. Sasha had nothing but wonderful things to say about you, but you cannot do this alone. I am afraid at this point child services will need to step in.”

“No. I can’t. I won’t let them go.” Levi said his body beginning to shake.

“It will only be temporary, I hope. I’d like to offer you whatever assistance I can to help you. Once you prove to the social workers that you are able to provide them with a stable living environment, I promise you I will do what I can to get them back to you.”

“Other than Mikasa, none of them are actually related to me.” Levi whispered. “They won’t give them back. They’ll be separated and alone.”

“I will also do what I can to keep them together. I am friends with the social worker. He is already aware of the situation.”

“Everything was already decided before this meeting.” Levi felt defeated. He stared down at the ground.

“I’m very sorry Mr. Ackerman. This is what is best for everyone.” Erwin came around his desk and tried to pat him on the shoulder, but Levi swung the hand away.

“Don’t touch me. You can’t take everything away from us and pretend to be the hero.” Levi stood up and stepped away from him. “I want to at least tell them. Let me see them before they’re gone.”

Erwin nodded and made a phone call. Levi saw red in front of him. He was having a hard time breathing, but he was good at presenting a good outward appearance. When the teacher brought Sasha and Connie to Mr. Smith’s office Erwin let them both in. “I’ll be outside. I’m going to contact the other schools as well.”

Connie watched the principle go “Hey Levi, what’s going on?” He asked, gripping onto Sasha’s hand.

Levi dropped to his knees, and held out his arms to his kids, they both rushed forward and he pulled them close, kissing Sasha’s hair and rubbing Connie’s head. “You’re going to have to go away for a while.” Levi whispered to them both.

Sasha gripped onto his shirt and looked up at him with wide eyes. “It’s cuz of what I said isn’t it? It’s my fault!” Sasha cried and Levi pulled her close again rubbing her back.

“Shh Sasha. It’s not your fault. If anyone is to blame it’s me.” Sasha shook her head into his chest but her sobs prevented her from saying anything more. Connie was also crying. “Now listen. He says he’s trying to keep you all together. I need you all to keep looking after one another got it? He picked each of their chins up so he could see them nod to him. “I’m going to do everything I can to get you all back so we can be a family again.”

“I love you Levi.” Connie said between tears.

“I love you both too.” He kissed both their foreheads. “I’m so sorry.”

He got them to calm down enough and wiped away their tears. “I really need you both to be strong right now ok? Mika’s going to be scared. I need you all to watch out for each other. Keep Jean out of trouble.”

“If-If we’re good can we come home sooner?” Sasha asked between her tears.

“It doesn’t work like that Sasha.” Levi looked up to see Jean had walked in. The teenager caught on quickly. “Foster’s taking us huh?”

“I’m sorry Jean-“

“Fuck that. Fuck them. We were doing fine.” Jean said and he punched the wall. Levi jumped up to restrain them. “Who the fuck are they to decide what’s best for us!” he yelled “We’re happy! For the first time in our lives we’re fucking happy and they want to take that away!”

“Jean stop. You’re going to scare them.” Levi said quietly. “They’re keeping you together.”

“Yeah that’s what they say now. But no one is going to keep 4 kids for long.” Jean scoffed. At least I won’t have long before I’m kicked out into the streets. And what about you huh?” The fight was leaving him and he slumped into Levi. “How is this good for you?”

“Don’t worry about me.” Levi stressed. “Worry about each other. I’m going to do what I can.” He turned Jean around and smiled at all 3 of them. “You watch, I’m going to find us a nice, permanent place. I’ll have it all ready for you guys soon.”

“You’ll be able to save up your money without Sasha eating all the time.” Connie joked and Sasha smacked him. Levi smirked.

“Yeah, but we’ll have a big feast when we’re back together and we’ll celebrate.” The two younger children nodded. But Jean just scowled.

“Please take care of them.” Levi whispered to Jean.

“Yeah yeah. Like you need to ask. I’ll do what I can before they split us up.” He leaned in close to Levi whispering. “And if they try to we’ll just run. I’ll find you and we’ll leave this shithole.”

The door opened again and standing beside Erwin was tall blonde man. He smiled warmly at the kids. Erwin had Mikasa’s hand.

“I’d like to speak to you three while Mr. Ackerman sees Mikasa.” Erwin and the other man tried not to notice the dent Jean had made.

“Fuck off.” Jean said as he held out his hands for Sasha and Connie He looked over at Levi. “You better take care of yourself too.” Jean pushed his way through not speaking to either adult. Erwin and the other man left again and Mikasa gripped onto Levi’s leg looking up expectantly.

Levi was losing the strength to do this again. Especially with Mika. His little cousin had already been through enough. Levi took a steadying breath, but Mikasa beat him to the punch before he could speak.

“I have to go away don’t I?” Mika asked him

“Just for a little while.” Levi promised.

“Who’s going to take the nightmares away?”

“You’ll still have Jean, Sasha and Connie. You’re just going to go someplace nicer now. No more ratty couch or hotel rooms for a while.”

Mikasa motioned for him to pick her up and he lifted her in his arms. She hugged his neck but didn’t cry. He never saw her cry. Not since her parents died. He kissed her head. “Think of this as a camping trip. I said I would take you all camping someday huh?” Erwin came back in the room and Levi followed with Mikasa holding onto him. When it came time to leave, she clutched on with a death grip and screamed while the man, Mike, Levi learned tried to take her out of his arms. He did his best to calm her down, and kept his own emotions bottled up even though he wanted to scream with her.

“Ya’ll happy now. Damn kid saw her parents murdered now you’re taking her away from more family.” Jean muttered as he came up. “Mika honey come here.” Mika turned to look at Jean and his waiting arms, then back to Levi.

Levi nodded to her. “Go with Jean ok?” Mikasa nodded and let Jean take her away she still clutched for Levi and he kissed her little hand. He was surprised to see the Jean had started to tear up too. Mikasa gripped onto Jean like she had Levi hiding her face as Jean rubbed her back soothingly. Sasha and Connie both grabbed onto Jean’s shirt as Mike walked them to a van.

“Mr. Ackerman, is there anything you need? Erwin asked quietly. “I’d like to drive you home if you’ll let me. I don’t want you driving like this.”

“I don’t have a home or a car.” Levi whispered. “My home just drove away.”

Erwin frowned. “I mean the hotel.”

Levi shook his head. “I need to go to work.”

“Then I can take you there. Although I wouldn’t recommend going in your condition. I can call your job if you would like.”

“It’s fine. I’m fine. Not like I need to think to do my job anyways.” Levi shook off any more help the man would offer. “Have a good day Mr. Smith.” He left the school and moved without thinking. He began the long walk to his job, glad for once that it was far away so he could take the time to clear his head. When he walked in, he talked to the owner and said he wanted to pick up more hours. He was pretty popular so she saw no reason why not.

The walk back to his hotel was brutal after the last client. He was tired and sore now and could barely walk after the abuse he had taken, but he hadn’t had time to think about what was awaiting him now, which was what he was going for. He debated just stopping where he was and sleeping there, but found his legs taking him to Zoe’s. Hange was sitting at the front desk again when he came through. She practically jumped the counter when she saw him.

“There you are! Where are the others? I’ve been so worried. I thought maybe you had decided to leave, but the kid’s stuff was still in the room and Jean had paid through the week.” Levi was having a hard time to keep up with the fast loud talking woman. Whether he had finally hit his wall or it was something about her that oddly reminded him of his own mother, he finally broke down and began to cry. Hange grabbed him before he collapsed and held him close.

“Oh honey, what happened? Are the kids ok?”

“They took them. They took them from me.” He cried and he gripped onto her shirt like it was his lifeline.

“Who did?”

“Child services.” He sobbed into her chest. He was getting her shirt soaked but the woman didn’t say anything. “Said I didn’t take good enough care of them. I failed them.”

“No. Oh no sweetheart. No you didn’t. She stroked his hair and pulled him with her to her office. There was no one out at this time of night, but she didn’t want any of her other customers to see him breaking down. She sat down on the couch and pulled the young man with her. “I’ve seen how much you care about them, and how much they care for you. I pay attention to those things you know? I enjoy people watching and have learned to read people over the years. You did everything you possibly could for those kids.” She drew soothing circles on his back. “I’m sorry dear. If I had known I would have spoken up for you.”

“They said I didn’t have a home and accused me of not feeding them enough.”

Hange hmphed and poked his ribs. “Please those kids have always eaten before you. If anything, you’ve been starving yourself. You were bigger the last few times you all stayed. I would have said you lived here. Not that this is the best place, but it’s something.”

“Your place is nice.” Levi said into her shoulder

“Well thank you for that dear.” She continued to hold him rubbing his back and whispering soothing words until his cries began to subside. She reached for a box of tissues and Levi sat up looking at her sheepishly, seeing how wet her shirt was from his tears, and quite frankly from his snot as well. He blew his nose and dried his eyes as he shifted away from her.

“You always talked to Jean.”

“Sure because he’s the one who always paid.” She winked at him “After the first time you all stayed I realized you were the one taking care of them, but he was such a charmer. He’s going to make some girl happy someday. Or boy I suppose.” Hange tapped her chin absentmindedly before returning back to the present. “Now, tell me everything that happened so I can help you.”

Now that Levi was calmer he explained everything that had happened, including the proposed conditions. Hange nodded along with him as he spoke.

“I know Erwin. I used to go to school with him. The man has a hero complex. If he promised you something, you best believe he’s going to do what he can to honor it. I also know Mike, he was from the same class as Erwin and I. He’ll keep his promises too.” It felt good finally letting everything out, and Hange was surprisingly helpful. “Now hun, I know it’s hard for you, but you really should go to your room and try to get some sleep. You look like a dead man walking.”

“I don’t know if I can.” Levi admitted. “I’m going to get in there and be reminded of them. Do you have any idea how long it’s been since I’ve been alone?”

Hange stood up and pulled some pills out of the top drawer of her desk. “Here these are some sleeping pills. I have trouble sleeping myself. They’re just over the counter ones so don’t worry I’m not trying to kill you. She pulled 2 pills out of the bottle. “I’m keeping the bottle though. I don’t want you to have any crazy ideas. I don’t know where your state of mind is dear.” She pulled a bottle of water out of a mini fridge and handed it to him.

Deciding this was better than the alternative he took the pills and took a swig of water to force them down. Hange patted his head. “If you need anything you call the front desk ok? Even if I’m not there I’ll have them get me.”

“Thank you. For all this. And I’m sorry about your shirt.”

“Don’t worry about it. Nothing a wash won’t take care of. Sad to say I’ve had a lot worse. Those pills kick in pretty quickly so get your butt to bed. I’ll check on you in the morning.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter has suggestions of rape/non consensual sex. If this type of thing bothers you, it is possible to skip this chapter and not miss much. I'll put a summary before the next chapter.

Levi woke up groggily the next morning. It was later than usual and he groaned, realizing he was late for his day job. He looked around the quiet room as yesterday’s events began to hit him again. He got up and took a quick shower, having fallen asleep yesterday in his clothes on the covers. He hurried as fast as he could, having no way to contact Reeves to let him know he was late. He was never tardy so he hoped the old man gave him a break today. Before he left, he stopped at the front desk. Hange was still there, although her eyes were red. She gave him a warm smile.

“Hey hun. You get some sleep?” 

“Yeah some. I need to go to work, but I don’t know if anyone will come for the kid’s things. They may not bother though since it’s not much.”

“If anyone comes, I’ll let you know. Moblit should be coming soon to take over the front desk. I’ll make sure he is aware.”

“Thanks. Um. I probably won’t be back until late again.” He wasn’t sure why he was telling her. “I’m going to try and pick up some extra hours. I just-“ He rubbed the back of his neck, and looked at her sheepishly. “I didn’t want you to worry again.”

“Thanks dearie. Have a good day at work and please be safe.”

Levi nodded. He raced to work and was panting when he walked in. One of the old regulars was sitting at the counter, but no one else was there besides Reeves.

“I’m so sorry I’m late.” Levi heaved between pants. He walked behind the counter and tossed his apron on.

“Everything ok kid?” Reeves asked coming to the back room. He was wiping his hands with his towel. 

“Um no. But if it’s alright with you, I’d rather not talk about it.”

He nodded. “If there’s someplace else you need to be kid, you don’t need to come in.” He gave him a warm smile. “But I’m happy to have your help until the end of the month.”  
Levi nodded. Another change. His whole world was crumbling around him. “I’ll be here. Today was just a fluke. I promise.”

Reeves let it go, but Levi noticed him watching him warily. Halfway through his shift, while Levi wiped down the already immaculate tables, Reeves pushed a plate in front of him.  
“Sit down and eat something kid.”

Levi looked at the plate then back at him. He tried to recall when he did eat something last. He sat down and pulled out his wallet. Reeve’s larger hand covered his and he looked up to see the man shaking his head. 

“Put your money away. It’s no good here.” Reeves sat across from him as Levi began to eat the sandwich ravenously. Now that he was thinking about food he was starving. “If you want something else I make it for you.” He pushed the glass of water towards Levi, which he took after swallowing a large bite. “Don’t choke yourself kid.”

“Thank you. I guess I’ve been distracted.”

“You can bring the kids over for dinner too after we close up.” Levi stopped eating and Reeves frowned. 

“The kids are gone. Child services took them yesterday.” Levi picked at his remaining fries, not really feeling as hungry as he thought of his younger siblings.

“Damn.” Reeves raked his hand through his hair. “I was worried something happened after that call. I was hoping it was something stupid like the older one got into a fight again or the hungry girl bit someone.”

Levi smiled remembering when he got that call. Someone had tried to take the dessert off Sasha’s plate at lunch and she bit them. Sasha had received detention for a week because of it. 

“What’s going to happen?” the owner asked tentatively.

Levi shrugged and pushed the empty plate away. “I don’t know yet. They say they’re going to keep them together for now, and if I can get a stable place they may let me have them back.”

The owner shook his head. “You’re all too young to be dealing with all this. I’m sorry kid, especially since now I’m closing the diner.”

“It’s not your fault. Honestly, I should have expected it to come eventually.” Levi sighed and covered his face with his hands. “Maybe they’re better off without me.”

The old man patted his shoulder. “Don’t think like that kid. They adore you. This is probably hurting them as much as it’s hurting you. If there’s anything I can do to help…” He trailed off unsure of what else to say.

“Thanks. It means a lot.” Levi took his plate to the back and worked on the dishes. The rest of his shift dragged until it was time to close for the day. He finished mopping the front while the owner worked on the deposit and paperwork. As he was getting ready to leave, the man gave him a bag. Levi looked in it to see another sandwich and some chips. 

“You need to eat more kid.” He pushed the younger man out in front of him as he locked the door.

Levi ate the sandwich as he walked toward the brothel. His rough client had come to see him again. He apologized for the last time and promised Levi more pay this time. Levi agreed to service him, but refused to allow bondage again. As the older man climbed on top of him though, he realized he had made a mistake again. His breath smelled like vodka and Levi could see in his eyes he was intoxicated. He held Levi’s arms above him with one arm and bit hard on Levi’s neck. Levi hissed and bucked beneath the larger man. He was relatively strong, but his client was stronger. With one hand, the man yanked down Levi’s pants. “Wait.” Levi said but was silenced with a rough kiss. 

“I paid for you tonight. Now be quiet whore.” The man said as he dropped his own pants and shoved his way between Levi’s legs. With no prep he shoved into Levi and covered his mouth before the teenager could cry out. He groaned above him and pumped into Levi fast and hard. Unwanted tears streamed down Levi’s cheeks which only seemed to please the man more. He gripped onto his throat with both of his hands closing off Levi’s airway. Levi struggled to move the stronger man’s grip beginning to see stars at the edge of his vision. The man either didn’t notice or simply didn’t care. Soon Levi didn’t see anything else.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who skipped Chapter 3 a quick summary:  
> Levi tells Reeves about the children. Reeves gives him some advice and offers to help how he can.  
> At the brothel, Levi meets the man mentioned in Chapter 1 again. The meeting does not go well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning the beginning of the chapter includes mentions of rape from last chapter.

“Levi. Levi wake up.” One of his coworkers was kneeling beside him shaking him. Levi looked around confused. He never would have fallen asleep at work. “Oh thank God.” The girl said when she saw his eyes opening. “Don’t try to move yet ok?”

“What happened?” Levi’s voice was hoarse and he brought a hand to his throat. Recollection came to him as the girl came back with some wash cloths.

“Oh Levi. That man shouldn’t be allowed in here.” The woman said as she carefully tried to clean Levi up. He was struggling to remember and still seemed to have difficulty breathing. He saw blood on the washcloth the girl was using and threw an arm over his eyes as he tried to hold back the tears.

“I’m telling the boss you’re done for the night and taking you off a few days.”

“No.” Levi sat up and regretted it. Pain was shooting through his body. He saw more bruises forming on his chest. Some from bite marks, others from rough hands. Bruises were also forming on his thighs. “I need to make more money.” Levi insisted. “I’m fine.”

She tossed the bloody rag on his chest. “This doesn’t look fine to me. Look I know this isn’t the safest job, but something like this shouldn’t happen. I told the boss last time he was rough he shouldn’t be in. I have a mind to call one of the cops that works with us.” She put up her hand when he tried to protest. “I won’t but it’s still a thought. I’ll make sure you’ll get paid while you recover a bit. You’ll just miss out on client’s tips. She nodded to the cash next to him. “I also made sure that asshole paid extra before they gave him the boot.” She stood up and placed his clothes on the bed. “I’m going to talk to the boss. Take as long as you need to get back together. I’ll meet you at the front with your money when you’re ready to leave.”

Levi winced as he sat up. He made his way into the bathroom and jumped into the shower. He cried as the warm water sprayed him and he punched the wall furiously glad to feel the pain he was inflicting on himself rather than everything else. The water ran cold and he got out carefully, slowly putting his clothes back on. He tossed the washcloth in the trash rather than adding to the hamper to be cleaned. Not even bothering to count the money, he shoved the wad of cash in his back pocket and walked slowly to the front. His coworker was there as promised holding an envelope for him. He shook off any offers of a ride home. He wasn’t sure what to do tomorrow, being off both jobs now. If he could even get out of bed once he got there. Maybe he would try looking for another day job for when the diner closed. At night he would go downtown by the clubs and try to pick someone up if he could.

Hange waved at waved at Levi from the front desk as he passed, but must have saw something. “Jesus Levi, what the hell happened?”

Levi looked up at her as she rushed to him touching his face and neck carefully. He hadn’t bothered to look in the mirror after his shower, but knew he was sporting a black eye based on how it hurt. He tried to swat her hand away. “I’m ok Hange.” She ignored his protests though and continued to poke and prod at him while her face darkened behind her glasses. Her happy demeanor was gone and Levi was almost scared of the look she had in her eyes.

“They could at least make sure you’re safe.” Hange hissed “Come on sit down, I’ll make you some tea.”

“Hange I’d really just like to get some sleep.” Levi croaked, but sat down in her office anyways.

“I promise I won’t take long. But I wanted to give you some good news. The way you look now you can probably use it.” She handed Levi the cup and he held it in his hands allowing the warm liquid to soothe his throat. “I have a realtor friend who owes me a couple favors. I had him look into some cheap rentals for you. I didn’t give him all the details of course, but he was able to find some places.” She spun her laptop around and Levi looked at the pictures the man had sent her.

“I checked all the addresses before I showed you. Not about to let you live in some dangerous part of town.”

Levi smirked at her. “I’m pretty sure the abandoned houses we’re usually in are in the dangerous parts of town.

Hange frowned but ignored his comment. She pointed to the one at the bottom. “This one is a duplex. And it’s not far from the school, so when you get the kids back they can still walk there.” Levi mulled over the pictures some places looked nicer than others, but he wasn’t necessarily picky. The prices weren’t terrible either. He could probably afford them with a couple nights of work.

“What about background checks, security deposits and all of that.” Levi asked. When he had first started taking care of the kids, he had looked at a couple places, but no one was willing to rent to a high school drop out with a juvenile record. “The diner’s closing soon and I can’t really put the other place down as a job.”

Hange waved her hand. “Eren has his ways. The man imbues charm and usually gets what he wants. Little shit. He offered to show you them whenever you were free.”

Levi nodded to her “I’m not working tomorrow. I have the next couple nights off too. They made me take them off.”

Hange scowled. “Don’t like it when their people don’t look good huh? Maybe if they didn’t let it happen in the first place”

“Hange, it’s not exactly like I have a respectable line of work.” Levi muttered as he sipped his cup.

“I don’t care what you do for a living Levi, it’s just human decency.” Her eyes widened. “Wait, if that’s what you can see what about…” She slammed her hands on the table. “Levi were you raped?”

“I don’t think you can call it rape when you fuck people for a living.” Levi retorted. “I agreed to see the client. He got rough with me. That’s that.” Levi shrugged. “It happens sometimes, although this has been the worst so far. The asshole still used a condom at least, and he’s supposed to be banned.”

Hange had that frightening look in her eyes again. He mentally cataloged not to ever be on the receiving end of the woman’s anger. “Rape is rape Levi, no matter what your profession is.”

“Hange, please just leave it. I didn’t need a mother growing up. I don’t need one now.”

Hange sighed and pushed her glasses up. “Fine. I’ll drop it. For now. Will you be up to looking tomorrow or do you want to rest?”

“I’d like to look tomorrow. The sooner I have a place the better my chances are.”

“Alright I’ll message him to come pick us up in the morning.”

“Wait, us?”

“Of course Levi. I’m invested now sweetie. You’re going to get the best place you can afford.” She smiled sweetly at him and it might be more frightening than the scary face. “Now go get some rest and I’ll let you know when he’s here.” She nodded toward the drawer that she kept her pills. “Do you need something to help you sleep again?”

“No I’m alright I think.” He stood up slowly, aware Hange was watching his every move now. “Have a good night Hange. Thanks again.”

“Sure thing hun. Now quit trying to give me a heart attack every time you waltz back in the place will ya?”

Levi made it to his room and locked the door. As expected, no one had come for the kids things. He pulled off his clothes and washed them in the sink hanging them up on the shower rail. He went to Jean’s bag. Pissed him off the young teen was bigger than him now and his clothes were too big on him. Still it was comforting in its own way. He crawled into the bed and pulled the sheets around him sleep coming easily for his aching body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a big fan of big sister Hange. Next chapter Eren finally makes his appearance!


	5. Chapter 5

Levi woke to pounding at his door and he hurried to answer it. He groaned when his body protested the quick movements. As hard as they were hitting they were likely to break the damn thing soon and he didn’t want to have to pay Hange for a door. He swung the door open and stared at the woman in question, his eyes blinking owlishly.

“Oh good, you’re up.” Hange smiled at him and lowered her arm.

“Do you make it a habit to try and break your own doors?” Levi asked her as he turned away from her.

She laughed as she stood in the entrance way and leaned into said door. “You have no idea how often I need to kick people out when check out is up. People tend to respond better when it sounds like the police are beating down the door.”

Levi huffed as he ran his hand through his hair. “What do I owe the pleasure of your alluring wakeup call?”

“Eren is on his way here. I wanted to give you some time to get ready.” She pulled a compact out of her pocket. “And I thought I’d help you hide that shiner and those bruises a little bit. She frowned. “It looks worse now than it did last night.”

In Jean’s larger shirt, she was able to see more of his collarbone and all of his throat. He felt the bruise absentmindedly. “I still haven’t looked at them.” He pulled one of his shirts off the makeshift clothesline. It was still damp, but wearable.

“Do yourself a favor and don’t.” Hange let herself in and sat on one of the beds and waited while Levi changed in the bathroom. “Do you know how to put makeup on or do you want me to do it?” He gave her a look when he came out of the bathroom and she shrugged. “What? A lot of boys wear makeup now. You should see some of the videos. A lot of them put my skills to shame.”

“One of the girls likes to put eyeliner on me once in a while at work. But that’s the most I’ve ever used.” He leaned forward so Hange could work, closing his eyes as he felt her hands lightly touching his face.

“Normally with your complexion you certainly wouldn’t need makeup. Lucky bastard. Did you ever even go through the awkward teenage phase?”

“If you mean the phase where I scrambled on the streets to survive until I met 3 little rug rats and got my little cousin away from my abusive uncle before he could molest her like he did me then yes.” Hange stopped dabbing his face and he opened his one eye to see her staring in shock at him. “Sorry too much info I guess.”

“So that little one is related to you?” Hange asked changing the subject.

Levi hummed as she worked to cover the bruise on his eye. “Mikasa. She’s my cousin. Her parents were murdered, then Uncle Kenny got her when they died. I took her away from him and got on the first bus I saw. Ended up here.” She tilted his head up so she could work on the bruises on his neck. “Found the rug rats shortly after. Ironically they were a lot worse off before I came around than now. But since I insisted they go to school so they didn’t end up like me I got them taken from me.”

“What happened to their families?”

“Sasha’s mom overdosed. Her dad was never in the picture. Connie’s parents died in a fire. Jean was in the foster system before and was a runaway. I’m worried he might try to run again, but hoping the other kids keep him in place for now. Until I can get them back.” He hissed when Hange touched the bite mark on his neck. It hurt more than the other bruises.

“Sorry, I’m trying to be gentle. Lucky for you I learned how to cover up hickies in my awkward rebellious teenage years.” She smiled at him. “I didn’t really want to see Erwin killed by my parents just yet.”

“You and that giant were a couple?”

Hange laughed. “I told you I knew him didn’t I? Yeah I dated him awhile when we were teenagers. We broke up though when we went to college but stayed friends since. Had I known he would turn into the hunk he is now though I may have tried to keep him.”

“Always a second chance.” Levi said and Hange huffed at him.

“He’s handsome but too uptight for me now. Always a damn stickler for the rules. Rules are meant to be challenged.”

Levi smiled. Hange was beginning to grow on him. Hange sat back so she could see the makeup from a different angle, moving his chin from side to side with her fingers. “That’s the best I think I can do hun.” Her phone vibrated in her back pocket. “Oooh and just in time. Eren’s here.”

Levi stuck the money he had in his back pocket. He didn’t want anyone coming in while he was gone and stealing his money. Since he used to do it himself when he was younger, he knows how easy it is. He put on his worn out sneakers and followed the crazy brunette as she skipped toward the front desk. He idly wondered if the woman was on drugs with the amount of energy she had.

“Eren sweetie it’s been too long. Are you avoiding me?” Hange hollered as she neared a tall man at the front desk playing with his phone.

“Who doesn’t?” The man joked but hugged Hange when she came up to him. “Still as crazy as ever. You have to stop drinking caffeine. How many cups have you already had?”

“Shh don’t be telling people about my addictions.” Hange fake whispered as Levi caught up. Levi this handsome giant is Eren. Eren this is Levi, the boy I told you about.”

The most gorgeous eyes Levi had ever seen turned to look at him. He smiled warmly and gave a small wave with the arm Hange wasn’t currently holding onto. “Nice to meet you.” Levi nodded and did his best to keep his poker face up so the man wouldn’t see him awestruck.

“You ready to show us some houses? Actually work for a change?” Hange asked looking up at Eren.

“Us? Who said anything about you coming? It’s not my turn to babysit your crazy ass.”

“Like I’m going to leave poor innocent Levi with you alone.” Hange pouted as she came to grip Levi’s shoulders and leaned down so she was resting her head next to his own. “You’ll try to corrupt him.” Levi scoffed and Eren rolled his eyes.

“Pretty sure it would be the other way around” Levi muttered and Hange chuckled.

“I’d be more worried about you around him than with me. Right Moblit?” Eren asked the man behind the desk.

Moblit raised his hands above his head “Not going there Eren. She’s my boss.”

Eren laughed. “See kid don’t let this woman trick you into anything. You’ll become her slave for life. “Poor Moblit here is just another one of her sad victims.”

“Don’t be telling him things like that you jerk.” Hange playfully hit Eren who just laughed some more.

“Do you want her to come or did she bully her way into coming?” Eren asked Levi, a warm smile on his face.

“Well she invited herself.” Levi admitted and Eren eyed Hange who didn’t even try to hide it. “But I wouldn’t mind a girl’s opinion.” Hange beamed. “Sasha and Mika won’t be little forever, but I’d like the place to be comfortable for them.” Levi explained to Hange.

“See. He wants me.”

“If you need rescued from her blink three times.” Eren whispered to Levi, knowing full well Hange could hear them. Levi smirked at him. He liked this guy’s easy going nature. He didn’t seem much older than Levi, but very tall and well built. Levi could see the outlines of his muscles through the shirt he wore.

When Levi didn’t blink, Eren frowned. “Alright Hange, I guess you can come.” Hange clapped her hands in delight and jumped from foot to foot. “You think you can manage to keep your body in the car this time or should you sit in the backseat with the child locks?”

“Psh that was because of the alcohol last time. I’ll be good-ish” She smiled sweetly at Eren who just rolled his eyes at her again.

“Moblit I’m putting you in for sainthood dealing with this crazy woman on a daily basis.” Eren said as he turned and raised his hand in farewell to the man behind the counter. Hange grabbed onto Levi’s arm and pulled him to the exit.

“Have a good day.” Moblit responded as they were leaving.

“Maybe I should check and see if he’s kidnapped when I get back.” Eren muttered as everyone piled into his car.

“Quit trying to make me sound like some deviant.” Eren eyed the brunette next to him as she buckled in.

“If the shoe fits.” He looked back at Levi. “So, Levi right?” Levi nodded. “Did the ball of energy over here manage to show you the places I sent her?”

“Yeah she showed me last night after work.”

“Any particular place we should start with? Or any I should cross off the list immediately?”

Levi shrugged. “I’m not really that picky so we can start wherever.”

Eren nodded. “Alright we’ll look at them in order then.” He turned on the engine and looked at Levi with the back mirror. “I take it you’re not going to be like my usual customers and tell me they need to have a sunset facing home with a fireplace and every room needs to have an open concept?”

Hange laughed. “What does that even mean?”

“No walls. People want no walls in their house. Just one giant room I swear.”

“I like walls.” Levi said and he saw Eren smile at him in the mirror. “I don’t really care about the rest.”

“Good. I’ll save my usual speal about each place from you then too, but feel free to ask me any questions.”

“Aww Eren, I want to be like one of your regular customers.” Hange whined.

“Only if I get to be like one of yours.” Eren countered.

“Eww please don’t.” Hange shuddered. “You have no idea how gross some of those rooms can be after people leave. Those kids though, they leave the room immaculate.”

“I feel like it should look like it did when we came that’s all.” Levi shrugged. “Common decency.”

“Ugh you have no idea how rare that is sweetie.” Eren laughed next to her.

Eren pulled into the first apartment complex on the route. “Ok, so this is one of the section housing apartment complexes. Which means that rent can be cheap and sometimes free depending on your income. But that usually means the landlord is very slow to fix things too.”

The three adults climbed out of the car. Hange and Levi waited for Eren to come back with the key for the apartment they were seeing. It was up 4 flights of stairs with the elevator being broken. The apartment itself wasn’t that bad though. It was clean and on the small side, but when Levi and 4 kids normally slept in one hotel room, he wasn’t about to complain.

Hange was more meticulous in her inspection, checking closet size, looking at the windows, and the kitchen appliances. Levi followed her, not really knowing what he should be looking at. Personally he thought it was fine and they could make do but Hange seemed to have her reservations about it.

Eren was messing with a central unit frowning. “Heating and air may be an issue.” He said quietly as he tried to get the machine to turn on. “Still, if you’re interested, I can tell them they need to make sure it’s working before you move in.”

“Let’s look at the next one.” Hange said before Levi could respond. Eren nodded and locked the apartment door behind them, returning the key to wherever he had gotten it from before meeting them back at the car.

They looked at two more places, which again Levi found plain, but Hange seemed displeased with. They pulled into a houses driveway and before Levi could even get out, Eren was driving back out both he and Hange saying “Nope” at the same time. Levi didn’t see what the problem was, or how they could tell just by going in the driveway.

“Hange, I don’t know what I should be looking for.” Levi whispered as they looked at the next apartment. Eren was in the living room waiting while Hange was investigating one of the bedrooms.

“It’s different for everyone. Like Eren said some people can be picky and want specific things, like all the kitchen appliances need to be matching stainless steel, or it needs to come with a dishwasher. But I like to look at the little things. Like closet space and overall room. There’s 5 of you, so I want you to have enough room to space out.”

“These closets are bigger than some of the places I’ve slept in though.” Levi frowned. “We could put all of our things combined in one closet and still have room.”

“Sure now you can, but not forever.” She toed the carpet and it was starting to come up. “When you’re looking at apartments, you want to look for the little things like this. It tells you how much the landlord cares about the place. You don’t want to end up having some slum lord who just takes your money and doesn’t ever fix anything. And when they don’t care about the little things like this when they’re showing it, they’re not going to care about the big things later on when you’re paying the rent.”

She walked out to join Eren in the living room. “Next one please.” Eren nodded and closed up the apartment and drove to the next one. While Hange was busy inspecting Levi decided to wait with Eren this time.

“If you’re getting tired of showing me places we can stop.” Levi said as he messed with the sleeves of his shirt. “I’m sure you have better things to be doing then showing some dumb teenager the same place all day.”

Eren leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. “I don’t mind. This is my job anyways, and I expected it to be an all-day thing when the demon came along. But I wouldn’t have sent all the places if I didn’t want to show them.” He looked over at Levi “And I never said you were dumb. I never thought it.”

Levi threw his hands up in defeat. “I don’t know what we’re doing. I was fine with the first place we went. I was fine with the house we stopped at.” Eren shuddered at that. “I don’t see what the big deal is.”

Eren nodded. “I look at places every day for a living. I can usually tell you if it’s a good fit or not in just a couple minutes. I also talk to the owners a lot so I get a feel for that too. Hange’s looking too for things that will ding you on an inspection.”

Levi looked at him in confusion. And Eren continued. “She told me a little about you but didn’t go into the details. She said you help raise some other homeless kids, which is where I get the lack of caring. Anything is better than what you’ve been doing right? But now they were taken in by child services. And one of the things they’ll do before they let you have them back is inspect your place. Make sure it’s safe for them and things are in order.”

Take for instance the first place. Decent enough. But then you factor in the unit, which shouldn’t technically be on you but child services doesn’t usually seem to care about that. Then the broken elevator and the flights a steps. No big deal right? You’re all young and again, not your fault the elevator’s broken. But child services will hit you with it.”

Levi frowned feeling stupid for not knowing these things.

“Don’t worry about it. I won’t let you sign a lease with a place that won’t meet their scrutiny.”

“The nicer places won’t take someone like me though.” Levi was beginning to feel defeated. He slouched down the wall and placed his head his lap.

Eren looked down and saw the guy look defeated. He decided it was time for a break. “Hey Hange. You feel like stopping for lunch?” Eren asked.

“Hmm? Is it lunchtime already? Sure I’m down for some food.” She saw Levi on the floor and exchanged a look with Eren.

“What food you in the mood for Levi?”

Levi shrugged his shoulders still not looking up. “I’m not picky about food just like I’m not picky about a house.”

“What about the diner you work at?” Levi looked up at Hange. “Unless you’re tired of eating there.”

“No that’s fine. It will help the Reeves out anyways.”

Eren raised an eyebrow at Hange. “The diner’s business hasn’t been doing too good so the owner wants to sell it.” Hange snapped her fingers startling Levi. “Hey Levi, didn’t you say he’s thinking about selling the place?”

Levi nodded confused as to where Hange was going with it.

“Great win-win. You can lay on your fantastic charm and get him to list it under you. And we’ll be helping your boss out. Plus we won’t be far from the next place so we can pick up where we left off.”

Levi wiped his jeans before he stood. “Well at least it will be quiet.”

The Reeves smiled widely when he saw Levi come in. “Hey kid. Can’t get enough of the place huh?”

Levi jerked his thumb back to Hange. “She wanted to come here.”

“Hi! I’m Hange, this is my friend Eren. He’s a realtor.” She nudged Eren who sighed in defeat.

“Subtle Hange. Real Subtle.” Eren sat down at one of the booths and Hange slid in beside him. “Oi go sit on his side.”

“But I want to be close to you.” Hange said as she nuzzled into him. Eren tried to shake her off.

“Get off me damn woman.” Eren grabbed one of the menus and swatted at her.

The Reeves looked between Levi and the two people he came in with. “Interesting friends you have there.”

“Friends may be a loose term.” Levi said as he sat across from them. “Hange is the owner of the hotel I’m staying at.”

“She kidnapped him.” Eren whispered to the owner.

“Hey that means you were an accomplice.” Hange cackled at Eren. “Especially since you’re driving the getaway car!”

“Dammit.” Eren hissed. “You’ve pulled me into a life of crime. I hope your happy Hange.”

The old man laughed at them as they bickered at each other. “Take your time looking. Let me know when you’re ready to order.”

“What do you suggest Levi?” Hange asked as she scanned the menu.

“Everything he makes is good. His burgers are my favorite though.”

“Ooh burgers. Are there shakes too?”

Levi turned her menu around. “Handspun ones. The root beer floats are also great.”

“Hange you don’t need more sugar.” Eren warned

“Shut up I’m older than you. Like a lot older.”

“Well if you’d act your damn age I wouldn’t have to pretend to be the adult.”

Hange stuck her tongue at him “I’m getting a damn milkshake.”

“Sounds like you’re all set.”

“Yes sir. Can I have the bacon cheeseburger with cheese fries? And a root beer float. I’ll also pay double if you don’t give her the milkshake she’s about to ask for.”

“I’ll have the mac and cheese burger with fair fries and a chocolate milkshake.” Hange’s eyes were wide while she waited for Reeves to tell her no.

“What about you Levi? The usual?”

“I’m not that hungry.” Levi said “I can get their drinks for you though and get the fries going.”

“Sit down kid. You’re not on the clock.”

“He’ll get whatever his usual is.” Hange said. “And you can put all their food on my bill.” She glared at Eren daring him to protest. He just grabbed the menus and put them back where they had found them on the table.

“Hange. I can pay for my food.” Levi argued and Hange put a finger to his lips.

“Not another word.”

“I’ll get working on these for you then.” The Reeves smiled at them and walked to the back.

“He’s making my shake you bully.”

“He never said he was or wasn’t yet.”

Eren pulled out the folder he had brought in with them. “Alright, why don’t we go through the places we’ve looked at so far and put them in yes or no piles?”

Levi shifted in his seat. “I’m just. I’m gonna help the old man clean up for a minute.”

Eren and Hange watched Levi carefully as he grabbed the rag from behind the counter and began to clean the tables. The owner grabbed the rag from Levi as he came back with their drinks. “Go sit down kid. I told you, you’re not on the clock.” Eren moved the papers out of the way so the man had a place to sit them down. Hange squealed when she saw the milkshake, practically ripping it out of Reeve’s hand.

“Sorry, I couldn’t refuse a pretty lady’s request. Looking at homes huh?”

“Trying to make our Levi here look as respectable as you and I know him to be.” Hange said and Levi blushed.

“Yeah? Well good for you kid. Let me know if you need a reference. I’d be happy to help out.” He smacked Levi on the shoulder, and it took everything Levi had not to wince at the innocent gesture. Eren’s eyes narrowed though, while Hange’s widened. The old man walked back into the kitchen to make their food and Eren pulled the papers out again. Levi sighed in defeat and joined the other two as they discussed the different places they saw so far.

“I think these 2 are the only maybes. The rest are no.” Hange said holding the two papers she liked.

Eren pulled one out of her hand. “Not this one. The landlord was a real dick. Wanted to charge per each kid that was going to live there.”

“Can they do that?” Levi asked

“Not really. Places can charge extra if you go over the suggested limit in the apartment, but they can’t ask for extra money because they’re kids like some pet fee.”

“Always, always read the rental agreement in full Levi.” Hange admonished. “You want to look for fine print things like that and look for things like what the landlord is responsible for and what you are.”

Eren pointed to one of the no apartments. “Exactly. Like this one, it was a decent enough place, but didn’t cover any utilities at all, and was higher rent than the others. You’d end up paying at least double each month, and that place wasn’t worth that.”

“It’s not like just renting a room at the hotel?”

Hange shook her head. “Some places may include all utilities in their rent, but a lot of them expect you to pay at least some like gas or electric.”

“Then you need to pay attention to what type of heating and stove you have. An all-electric unit is going to cost more than a gas one.”

Levi rubbed his face in frustration, but still he was happy that they were taking the time to explain it to him. He just felt stupid, thinking he should know all these things by now.

“Levi.” Hange warned and Levi pulled his hands away to see the makeup Hange had put on him.

“Ugh. I need to go to the bathroom.” Levi said awkwardly as he rushed to the bathroom before the old man came back out again.

“Fuck fuck fuck.” Levi swore as he looked in the mirror. Hange was right. It did look awful. Now there were streaks on his face from where he had rubbed. He scrubbed his hands getting what makeup had come off into the sink.

“Levi. I’m coming in.” Hange said as she twisted the door. She pulled the compact out of her bag. “Sorry sweetie. I didn’t think to stop you until after.”

“Is this what girls go through every day?”

Hange chuckled. “Yeah. But the more expensive make up will stay on longer. I don’t really care enough to buy that stuff though.”

“No wonder the girls at work are always huddled in the bathroom between clients.” Levi said quietly and Hange laughed.

“Yeah, they’re also probably gossiping to one another too about their clients. Girls are terrible at gossiping.”

“You’re a girl.”

“Thanks for noticing sweetie. But that’s why everyone around me is guys. Other girls don’t seem to be able to stand me. If I gossiped about all of my customers I wouldn’t have a business left.”

“You think Eren saw?”

“I don’t think so, but even if he did he probably won’t say anything. Would probably go hunt down the guy who did this to you though.” Hange dabbed the makeup back into place. “You wouldn’t guess it from the way he is now, but the kid had a habit of getting in fights a lot. Always looking after the little guy.”

Levi gestured at himself. “Was that a pun?”

She chuckled. “It wasn’t meant to be, but it does fit. He’s angry at Erwin for his part in this. Probably will be worse now that he’s actually met you.” She moved his face around again and nodded to herself. “There. All better again.”

“I’m going outside for some fresh air.” Levi said not wanting to return to the table just yet.

“Ok sweetie.”

Levi slumped into the wall outside. Here he was thinking he had this adult thing down, then they throw all these curve balls at him. Once he got the kids back he’d make sure they understand all of this too so they wouldn’t feel as stupid as him. After he calmed down some he joined the others at the table. Reeves was down with them while Eren ran numbers and wrote things down. Looks like it worked out for Eren to come here after all. He felt a sense of relief knowing the old man wouldn’t get tricked. Although he just met Eren, the man seemed to be pretty fair. Hange smiled at him as he sat back down by the Reeves and ate his food while he and Eren discussed things.

“I should be able to get it listed in the next couple days.” Eren assured him. I’ll come by tomorrow and take some pictures. Let me know what you’ll be selling with the place then and I’ll be sure to add it in the pictures.”

“Thank you. You have some good friends here kid.” He ruffled Levi’s hair as he was eating his burger.

“You ready to see the next place or you need to call it quits for the day?” Eren asked

“If you have somewhere you need to be we can stop.”

“Not what I asked. I’m here for you today. So do you need to stop or are you good?” Eren leaned in close and Levi had a hard time concentrating with those bright eyes on him.

“Um. I’m good I guess.” Levi said.

“Alright. As a warning, the psychopath here managed to get another milkshake while you were gone. I understand completely if that changes your answer.”

“You’re two beers in.” Hange countered

“I haven’t had a root beer float since I was a kid. Sue me.”

Levi at the rest of his meal quickly so he wasn’t holding up the others and said goodbye to Reeves after the man yelled at him again for trying to do the dishes.

“See you tomorrow kid. You can tell me all about the new place.”

“This is the one I liked from the pictures. Hange told him as Eren drove to the next location. “It’s also the one closest to the school.”

“It’s a higher rent because of its location, but it’s also one of the bigger places too. It’s a duplex rather than a whole apartment complex. And it has 3 bedrooms.”

Eren drove into the small driveway, backing up next to the car already there. He led the others in through the back door of the house.

“Well this is nicer than the pictures. It’s very quaint.”

Eren nodded. “Looks like they made a couple updates since the listing. It’s been for rent for a few months.”

“Anything wrong with it that you know of?” Hange asked as she began to investigate the kitchen.

“The area around here is more middle class than the others. Frankly, since there haven’t been that many updates, people are looking over it.”

Hange nodded and Levi went to check out the living room. It was small in size, but cozy. A swinging door separated it from the kitchen that they had entered.

“All of the bedrooms are on the second floor.” Eren said beside him. “There’s a small half bath by the washroom on this level and a full bath upstairs.”

Levi walked up the narrow stairway, running his hands across the banister. It was old oak, the stain chipped and dented from old age but still sturdy. The landing to the second floor led to 4 doors. He went to the first one on the left and it was a small bedroom with built in dressers in the wall and a small closet. The bedroom next to it was identical.

“Looks like they may have split this room in half at some point to make 2 bedrooms.” Eren said behind him. “Still they’re big enough, and the built in dressers will give extra added space to the room once you get some furniture in here.”

The bedroom across the hall was larger and held a bigger closet. There was a small alcove with a built in ottoman bench and bookshelves lined the walls in front of the bay window. Levi looked out to a small fenced in yard.

“That’s nice.” Eren said beside him as he looked out. “Looks like each tenant has a section of the yard. Child services would like that it’s fenced in as well.”

Levi sat down on the bench and looked up at Eren. “Do you do this a lot that you know what child services would look for?”

Eren raised an eyebrow at the question, but shook his head. “No, I deal more with selling homes than I usually deal with rentals. But I’m familiar with what they look for because I used to be in the system. I got moved from place to place until I finally aged out.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah I was in a few shitty homes while I was in foster care. Not nearly as bad as before though. So I don’t really mind helping some kids not go through what I did.” He looked down at the younger teen and frowned while he was looking at Levi’s neck. Levi shifted his shirt when he noticed the older man staring.

“These rooms are nice. The bathrooms could use updates, but it is nice that there’s two of them.” Hange said as she entered the bedroom smiling. “Ooh that’s a pretty little nook. Why wasn’t that in the picture? Eren I hope you take better pictures of homes for your clients.”

Eren turned to her and smiled. “Why do you think I took that photography class last term? Don’t worry, I take care of my clients.”

“Hmm, maybe I’ll have you update the hotel pictures.”

Eren pushed off the ottoman and held out his hand to Levi. He pointed down below for Hange to look “each tenant has a portion of the yard too.”

“Oooh barbeques!” Hange clapped and leaned down to see.

Levi left the older adults and went to look at the bathrooms Hange spoked of. Entering the old wooden door, he saw a large tub with a shower hookup above. It was small, with another built in medicine cabinet and linen closet. The bathroom downstairs was even smaller. It may have once been a closet, Levi surmised. It was wide enough for the toilet and a small vanity. It was right off living room and beside it was the doorway to the yard with a stackable washer and dryer. He liked the small home and he could picture his younger ‘siblings’ running around outside. He went back upstairs to talk to Eren more about the house but stopped when he heard him and Hange talking in whispered tones.

“I know bruises when I see them Hange. Don’t forget I used to be covered in them.” Eren said quietly.

“It’s not exactly what you think. It’s not like it was with you anyways.” Hange whispered back. “and it’s not really my place to say.”

“If he’s in trouble…”

Levi looked in to see Hange shaking her head at him and holding a shoulder. “We’re helping with what we can for now. Please, don’t try to push it. I don’t want to scare him away.”

Eren clenched his fists but nodded. “I don’t like it though.”

Levi stepped back onto the first couple steps and made an effort to making his steps louder as he neared the bedroom. “Hey Eren, how much more is a place like this?” He asked pretending he hadn’t heard them talking. Frankly, it made him a little happy that people seemed to care for once.

Eren turned away from Hange and gave him that big smile. Levi imagined he was popular with the ladies. Hell, he practically had Levi swooning, and Levi had become rather cynical since working at the brothel.

“It’s a couple hundred more a month, and you have to pay for the gas and electric. Water, sewer, and trash are all covered by the owner. “I’ll punch some numbers and ask the owner for some previous bills so we can get an estimate. I’m assuming we’re putting this one on the maybe pile then?”

Levi nodded and Hange clapped her hands skipping over to Levi and grabbing his shoulders.

“I’ll let the owner know you’re interested in case anyone else is looking. I’ll also try to negotiate a cheaper rent if you end up choosing this one. Since it’s been vacant a couple months they may be willing to lower it some.”

“You’re the best Eren.” Hange said and wrapped Eren in a hug when he neared them.

“Get off me psycho. I haven’t done anything yet.” He looked down at Levi. “Do you still want to see the others?”

Levi nodded. He was feeling better about this than he had before lunch.

“Alright. I’ll drop off the key and meet you both in the car.”

Hange prattled to Levi as they waited in the car. Levi was starting to see why Eren didn’t want her to have more sugar. Her energy was crazy and she was practically jumping out of her seat when Eren joined them.

They went to two more spots, both were nice rentals and passed Hani’s scrutiny. They were on their way to the last one of the day. It was the farthest away, but near a bus line. He parked in the last place. It was a large complex, but looked decent from the outside.

“What would you like for dinner after this place?” Hange asked as they waited for Eren to come back with the key again.

“I’m ok Hange. You look beat. I’ll just grab something out of the vending machines when we get back to the hotel.”

“No wonder those clothes hang off you.” Eren said as he approached. “I’m starving though and since I’m driving we’re going somewhere, so you’re getting a good meal for once.” Hange smiled up at Eren.

“What about that Mexican place we went with Erwin last time?”

“With the fish bowl drinks? I’m not carrying you back to your apartment again.” He twirled the keys in his hand as he led the way. “And I know you don’t want to go there because of the food.”

“Aww come on Eren. I’ve been a good girl on this trip.” Eren eyed her over his shoulder. “Mostly.”

“How come I always feel like I’m babysitting you every time I hang out with you? I’m 10 years younger than you.”

Levi smiled as he listened to their bantering. After spending the day with them, he saw how much the two cared about one another. He had noticed how Hange treated Eren like a little brother. It made him miss his ‘family’ and hoped he could get them back soon. He was disappointed after he found a place he wouldn’t have a reason to see Eren anymore though. The older male was fun to be around and was calming to Levi. He found himself staring at those large aquamarine eyes on several occasions on this trip.

The apartment was on the second floor. While they took the steps, Eren did verify that the elevator was working at this complex. It was compact, with a small living room which was open to the kitchen. There was 1 bath, and it only had a shower in it. Levi frowned at that. He usually gave Mikasa baths at night for now. The bathroom was also small. Eren could touch both walls with his arms outstretched. Hange shook her head as she looked at the two bedrooms.

“The square footage seems to be way off in this place. It should be bigger.” Eren said as he looked at the papers.

“Did they show us the wrong apartment?”

Eren sighed. “Maybe. Or they don’t want to show it to me.”

Hange cocked her head “why not?”

“Levi’s age likely. I have to give them some information about who will be staying. Renters don’t always want to deal with younger renters. I dealt with it all the time when I was looking before I bought my house.”

“Well then it’s not worth our time.” Hange said in a huff. “Come on, let’s go get dinner.” She stormed out of the rental and made her way to the car. Levi followed without saying anything.

They decided on a pizza place and Eren pulled out his papers again after the waitress dropped off their drinks. Levi leaned into the table and looked at the papers with Eren. Eren was writing down pro and con lists for each place they had seen, including prices and what was and wasn’t included in rent.

“I like the duplex the best, even though it’s more.”

Eren nodded. “Do you have another job lined up for when the diner closes? The renters will be looking at your income.”

“I have another job, but it’s under the table. I’m going to look for another day job on my days off at the diner.” He spoke quietly, hoping Eren wouldn’t ask what the job was. He saw Eren and Hange share a look between them. “I’m not sure who would be willing to hire a high school dropout.” Levi admitted trying to change the subject. “I got lucky at the diner.”

Eren sat back and crossed his arms. “I guess I should be glad Erwin pushed me to finish instead of letting me drop out. Do you have any skills?”

Levi smirked “Nothing that I can really list anyways.” He took a slice of the pizza when the waitress placed it on the table. “I can probably find something at a restaurant now that I have the diner experience though.”

“I can give you a few days at the hotel.” Hange offered. “I’m not really looking, but I know how much of a clean freak you can be. You’d be great at housekeeping.”

“Don’t do it kid. You’ll be indebted to her forever. Trust me.” Eren warned as he sipped his drink. “It’s a trap.”

Hange elbowed Eren and he choked on his drink rubbing his side and scowling at the older woman. Ignoring his glare Hange leaned in toward Levi. “It would be good for you. The hours would be around the kids so you can still walk them to and from school, and you could work the breakfast bar on days you’re off the other place. You can keep looking for something with more money and hours too while you’re at it.”

“You’re already doing so much for me.” Levi said while he stared at his drink.

“What did I tell you before? I’m invested now.” Hange said tapping his chin up so he would look at her.

Levi considered and eventually agreed to the proposal. Hange threw up her hand in triumph.

“Your funeral.” Eren said ignoring the woman celebrating next to him. “You will never be able to keep anything secret from this woman.” He tapped the paper that had the duplex information on it. “So do you want to try for this one or do you want me to keep looking?”

“Do you think you’ll find anything better?” Levi asked him and Eren smirked.

“You’re catching on. Honestly, I don’t think so trying to stay in the price range you need. I could look at rent to own’s but they’re tricky since you’d be responsible for everything. We could always look at that as an option once the lease is up on this place if you want something bigger.”

“Then I’d like to try for it, but if it doesn’t work out, any of the others will work.”

“Don’t stress too much. Let Eren work his magic.”

Eren handed him the sheet he was writing on. “This is how much you will likely need for a deposit, and here’s the rent minus the utilities. The owner is supposed to get back to me tomorrow with the gas and electric estimates. Will you be available tomorrow if I hear from her?”

Levi nodded. “I work at the diner in the morning, but I’m still off from the other job. I don’t have a phone though.”

“I’ll be going to the diner anyways to take pictures and set up the listing. I can take you back to the hotel afterwards and we’ll talk then.”

“I think I have enough for the deposit now too. If not all of it I should have it after a couple nights work.”

With things settled for now they continued to chat while they ate. Eren eventually shut off Hange’s drinks when she started to get too rowdy. After 3 consecutive beers the older woman was tipsy and getting to be loud.

Eren asked for a box for the remaining slices and paid for their meals this time, ignoring Levi’s attempts to pay for them. When Hange almost fell over and went into a giggling fit Eren slung her arm over his shoulder. “Come on lightweight, let’s get you home.” He handed the box to Levi “Just one time I’d like to be with you and not end up carrying you back to your apartment. Next time I’m calling Erwin.”

“Oooh, you think he’d come rescue me?” Hange giggled as Eren sat her in her seat and buckled her in.

Eren rolled his eyes. “I just wish you two would just start dating again and get it over with.” He shut her door and looked to Levi. “Every time one of them gets drunk they talk about the other.” He explained rolling his eyes again. “It’s even worse when they’re drinking together.”

Eren pulled into the motel and went to get Hange, which had fallen asleep on the short ride home.

“I can get her if you want to go.” Levi offered.

“No it’s fine. Honestly, I’m glad she finally passed out. Maybe she’ll actually get some sleep for a change. Come on sleeping beauty.” He whispered to Hange as he unhooked her seatbelt and picked her up bridal style. “She’s pretty light anyways, but if you want to get her door for me that would help.” He handed Levi his keys. “Hers is the silver key.”

Eren nodded to the person at the front desk as he passed by. Levi followed unsure where Hange’s place was in the hotel. He figured she lived here since she was always here, but had only been to her office. Eren went up a flight of steps and stopped at a room above the office. Levi used the key he showed him and opened the door. Eren laid Hange on her couch and got her a glass of water in the kitchen setting it on the table next to her. He locked the door behind them

“I’ll be in touch tomorrow after I hear anything. Do you need anything?” Eren asked in the quiet hallway.

“No. Thank you for today. I really appreciate it. I’m not used to people caring.”

“Yeah I was the same a few years ago. You got lucky though. All joking aside, Hange really is a great woman.” He bid Levi farewell and Levi went to his room, putting the leftovers in the mini fridge by the bed. He felt lighter than he had since the kids were taken.

“Soon guys. Soon I’ll get you home.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a shorter chapter than some of my other one's so I'll be uploading the next chapter soon once I proof it. Hope you enjoy!

Levi’s shift at the diner went well, and it was busier than it had been in a while. Erwin had called to give him an update on the kids, letting him know Mike had managed to keep them together for now. He said he would set up a meeting with them as soon as he could. He said he would have Sasha and Connie call him from his office Monday as well, verifying that Levi would be at the diner during their lunch.

“Can I set up a meeting with child services too to find out what I need to do to get them back?” Levi asked quietly.

“I am already arranging that as well. I plan to have Mike meet with you before you see the children.”

Levi slumped into the wall in relief. “Ok. That’s the best I could hope for at this point.”

“I really am sorry about having to step in. If it makes you feel any better, Hange yelled at me for several hours straight, and last night I got a call from Eren who also spent quite some time yelling at me. Hange also felt the need to call me again last night rather intoxicated. Understand I have to make decisions I feel are in the children’s best interest even if they are difficult decisions. However, I was not aware of where the children came from before they met you.”

\-------------------

Eren had arrived an hour before closing. He and Reeves sat in one of the booths to talk and Levi handled the closing duties. He brought over the same thing Eren had ordered yesterday while he and Reeves discussed the price point on the building. Eren smiled when he saw the root beer float and thanked Levi. When the diner was closed for the day, Eren spent some time taking pictures in and outside of the building while Reeves signed some paperwork on Eren’s laptop. Levi kept himself busy by cleaning the back of the store and taking out the trash. When Eren was done he said his farewells to Reeves and told him he would be in contact with any updates. He put one of his signs in the yard before he and Levi left for the hotel.

Hange rushed over to greet them and ushered them into her office.

“How you feeling today lightweight?” Eren teased as he sat down in one of the chairs in front of her desk.

“We shall not speak of it.” Hange said dismissing him. “Thanks for getting me back in my room though.”

“Wasn’t about to keep you in my car all night.” Eren pulled out papers and his laptop out of his bag. “So, I talked to the owner and she was able to get the utilities estimates for me.” He handed Levi the paper. “She keeps the utilities in her name, and you’re responsible for paying them along with rent, but she makes sure to give you a copy of the bills so you know what you’re paying and she’s not overcharging you. I did also manage to get her to drop the cost of the place $100 less a month but only for the first year of the lease. If you re-lease the place, you’ll have to pay the original price.”

Hange clapped her hands. “Good job Eren. I knew you’d work your magic.”

Eren raised a hand silencing Hange. “The owner does have some concerns with the amount of children. She’s worried about noise complaints from the other tenant. So just as a warning, if they start roughhousing or getting too loud kick em out in that yard of yours or shut it down.”

“They’re all pretty quiet. Sasha and Connie fight, but it tends to be because of food. I’ll make sure everyone behaves and I’ll let Jean know too when I see them so he can stop them if I’m at work.”

“That’s good, and she’s not expecting everyone to be silent as mice either, just be aware if you get noise complaints, she can kick you out. Your best bet is to make nice with the neighbors, so they don’t call, or they at least come to you first with any issues.

“I brought a rental agreement. She is willing to split the deposit into 2 months if you don’t have it all as well.”

“No, I made sure that I have it.” Levi pulled out the envelope from his back pocket.

“We need to get you a bank account sweetie.” Hange said as she saw the envelope. Turning to Eren she asked. “Will a money order or a check from me work for now?”

“A money order should be fine. Most places actually prefer it since someone can cancel a check.”

“I’ll run to the store and get you the money order then while you both fill out the rental agreement.”

Levi was hesitant to give her the money. Life had taught him even the kindest faces would steal from you, but he reluctantly let it go. Hange smiled warmly at him and promised to be back quickly while Eren helped him fill out the paperwork.

“As you saw, the place only comes with appliances. You’ll have to provide all of the furniture. I know of a secondhand store we can look at once all the paperwork comes through.”

“It says they’re going to run a credit and background check.” Levi bit his lip in worry.

“I did explain you were young and didn’t have any credit. She was reasonable with that. “Will the background check come back with anything?”

“I got in trouble a few years ago.”

“Were you tried as an adult?” Levi shook his head. “Then you’ll be fine. Juvenile records won’t show up in the check.”

Hange rushed back in with the money order and gave Levi the money that remained. Eren took it along with the agreement.

“The checks should be done in a couple days. Once I hear anything, I’ll let you know.”

“Do you want to come up for dinner? I put a stew in the crock pot earlier and I’ll have plenty of food.”

Eren shrugged. “I don’t have anything else going on tonight and it’s better than fast food that I would have picked up. You’re coming up aren’t you Levi?”

“Oh, he doesn’t have a choice.” Hange said as she wrapped her arms around Levi’s shoulders.

“I tried to warn you.” Eren said laughing. He put the paperwork away and followed the others upstairs.

“Levi sweetie will you go in that cupboard and start setting up the table?”

“Sure.” Levi pulled out the plates and cups they would need and Hange showed him where the silverware was. “I suppose I’ll need to buy stuff like this too huh?”

“I’ll make you a list of things you’ll need.” Hange said as she brought the stew over to the table. Eren pulled a pitcher of tea out of the fridge and filled everyone’s glasses. Levi smiled thinking how nice something like this was. Growing up, he had never sat at the table and he and the kids had never had the opportunity. He’d have to make this a thing for him and the kids to do when he didn’t work.

“Hange I am a sucker for your stew.” Eren said as he took a huge helping of rice and poured the stew over it.

“You’re a sucker for anything that is home cooked.”

“Guilty.” Eren laughed and turned to Levi to explain. “I never really learned how to cook well, so I only get by with easy meals or frozen and fast food.”

“A typical bachelor. Hope you find someone who’s willing to do that for you. Hope they clean too because good grief your place looks like a tornado went through it.”

“Oi leave my bachelor habits alone. When I find the right guy, I’ll clean up my act.”

Levi’s eyes widened at the comment and he looked down at his plate trying to hide the blush that began to form. He needed to get a hold of himself. It wasn’t like he stood a chance with this guy. He had other things to focus on anyways.

Dinner ended too soon for Levi’s tastes. He had enjoyed being in their company again and listening to their stories. But Hange had to go downstairs to work the front desk so Eren said his farewells and Levi went back to his quiet room. He tried to write down the things he could think of that he would need to buy for the house so he could compare it to Hange’s list. He looked at the bruises in the mirror. They seemed to have lightened some, although he’d still need to have Hange put the concealer on again for at least a few more days. Taking a shower, he crawled into his sheets and was thankful sleep came quickly for him.


	7. Chapter 7

Levi made sure he was wearing the nicest clothes he had when he walked into the school for his meeting today. He still wished he had better and regretted not buying anything, but he didn’t want to waste any of his money on himself, especially with the large list of things he’d need to buy in order to get the kids back. He signed in at the front desk and waited for Mr. Smith to call him back to his office. Erwin took him to an empty conference room where he was surprised to see Petra there instead of the man who took the kids away. Levi held his apprehension in check, keeping his poker face on worried he was being pulled into another unpleasant conversation. Petra also seemed very surprised to see him though.

“Ms. Ral, this is Mr. Ackerman.” Erwin said as he came in. “Mr. Ackerman, Ms. Ral is the one taking care of the children’s case.”

“It’s not the man who took them?” Levi asked looking up at Erwin

“No Mike had too many cases, so Ms. Ral took on yours.”

Petra managed to recover from her shock, but Levi saw her hands shaking as she held out her hand to him. “Please to meet you Mr. Ackerman.”

Levi put on his smile he used while at the brothel “It’s nice to meet you as well Ms. Ral”

“I’ll leave you two to discuss matters while I bring the children in.” Erwin said as he closed the door.

“I never would have imagined I’d see you like this.” Petra said anxiously as she took her seat. She made sure Erwin had left before leaning in. “You-You won’t say anything will you?” Petra asked anxiously

“No Ms. Ral. Our client’s confidentiality is our utmost importance.” Levi said quietly. “Just as long as you don’t hold my line of work against me when it comes to my case. I would hope that you won’t say anything as well unless you absolutely need to.”

“Yes-I understand.” Petra focused on the paperwork in front of her she continued to be flustered and Levi put a hand on hers.

“Petra. I promise I won’t say anything. I know what it’s like to lose everything because of what people think of you. I would never do that to someone else.”

Petra took a long breath and nodded. “If at any time our-relationship for better terms- becomes a problem I can give the case to someone else.”

“I’d prefer to not do that since it would mean more time lost.” Levi said “however I will remember that is an option. Please go ahead.”

Petra gave him a weak smile and continued. “I took a look at the files. The case originally suggested that the children were being neglected. However, since going into their new foster home the concerns have only increased based on the children’s behaviors. Now there is also a concern because in the short time they have been in foster care, each of the children have fared poorly academically. We see this while children acclimate to different homes, but it has been noted that while in your care, no one saw these issues. Further, a few people have come forward on your behalf, explaining that you have taken care of the children and got them out of worse situations than we found them in so that has been added to the case as well.

When they went to the doctors for a physical, everyone came back in healthy condition and with proper weights for their age which shows that they have been properly taken care of. We also have spoken to each of the children individually. All of them seem to care about you greatly and are upset they have been separated from you. Sasha and Mikasa seem to be having the hardest time. It appears that Sasha is blaming herself and Mikasa suffers from nightmares. Even the other children can’t seem to calm her down and it is reported she keeps screaming for you.”

Levi swallowed the lump in his throat before responding “Mika’s always dealt with nightmares. I’ve been the only one who has been able to calm her down after one. I took her to a doctor once about it, but he said it was a phase and she would outgrow it.”

“Yes, the older boy, Jean said the same thing. He has been-difficult-. He is very angry they were taken away and has been lashing out. The foster family is concerned he may run, and when we looked into his records, he did run away from a foster home before.”

“I found him on the streets.” Levi said assuming Jean had already told them the same thing. “It was before I found Sasha and Connie, and nothing I told him would make him go back. He hates the system and I think he may have been abused in at least one of his homes, but he never admitted to it.”

“What makes you think that?”

“Because he acts like I did when my Uncle used to molest me and beat me to a pulp.” Levi said as he stared at Petra. She gasped and dropped her pen at his admission. She cleared her throat and spent a few moments looking at her notes before continuing.

“There is still a concern for the living arrangements of the children, but currently that seems to be the only hurdle we are dealing with now.”

“I’m waiting to hear about a duplex.” Levi handed her the folder Hange had told him to bring. “I should be hearing about it in a day or two. It’s within walking distance of the school here so they won’t need to change anything. There’s a copy of the deposit I’ve already given them.

“I will make some copies of this and make note of it, but this does help a lot.”

“You can keep those. I have a copy.”

She added the copies to her file and took some more notes. Finishing up she put her hands together. “Now should child services choose to put the children back into your care, they will do frequent inspections, some will be scheduled, and others will be random. The school will also to continue to report any odd behaviors.”

Levi nodded. “That all is reasonable with me. I want them to be safe and happy too.”

“We have tried to find any family members for each of them before putting them back into your care. We weren’t able to find anything for Sasha, Connie, and Jean. There was a Kenny Ackerman that came back for Mikasa.”

“Please, whatever you do, don’t let him take her.” Levi pleaded grabbing onto Petra’s hand. He couldn’t hide his hands shaking from her and he began to hyperventilate.

“This man, is he the one you talked about earlier?” Petra asked as she watched Levi’s reaction carefully.

Levi swallowed hard and nodded but couldn’t say anything else. Petra laid her other hand on top of the one he was gripping onto her with.

“I will make a note of it as well. You may have to testify if there is ever a contestation of custody though. However, while we discovered him as a relation, we haven’t been able to find him yet anyways.”

“Hopefully he’s dead in a ditch somewhere.” Levi muttered. If Petra heard him, she didn’t say anything.

“I don’t have anything else at this point. Here is my card once you hear about the apartment you can let me know so I can update your file.”

“I will. Is there anything I’ll need to do to make sure I pass the inspection? My realtor friend seems to know a lot and when he helped me look for places, he made sure I picked one he thought would pass.”

“Mostly they’re looking for safety in mind. Mikasa is still young so maybe buy child proof locks for any chemicals you have in the house. In all honesty it depends on who you get to inspect and how much they scrutinize. What one person may not find an issue, another one may. While I’m still working on the case, it will be me doing the inspection, so cleanliness, running utilities, proper space for all the children, plenty of food. All that will be what I look at as a heads up.”

“Alright thank you Petra.”

“And I believe it goes without saying I won’t be coming to visit anytime in the near future your um-work.”

Levi smirked at her. “A shame, you’re one of the few clients I have that I like to see.”

Petra blushed. “Completely off the record right now, did what happened to you as a kid bring you to that profession?”

Levi thought about it. “I wouldn’t say it drove me to it, but after what happened I was rather apathetic to sex. Mostly it’s the money but I would say if it didn’t happen, I probably wouldn’t have done it.”

“I see.” Petra stood up. “I’ll let Mr. Smith know he can bring in the children. I will remain present for the meeting though. I’m not concerned with you doing anything to them like some of my other visits, but I would like to see how they interact with you.”

“That’s fine. I’m just happy I get to see them. I don’t care if you want to bring in the whole damn school.”

Levi waited until Petra and Erwin came back. The door swung open and Sasha and Connie barreled into him. He caught them easily and dropped to his knees so he could give them hugs.

“Levi! I’m so sorry! Sasha cried into his shoulder. He gripped her tightly and rubbed her hair.

“Shh Sasha. It’s ok. I told you before it wasn’t your fault.”

“Do we get to come home soon?” Connie asked with wide eyes as he looked up at Levi. “I don’t like where we have to live now. They don’t let Sasha and Mika stay with us, not even when Mika has nightmares.”

“I hope it will be soon. I’m trying to make it as quick as I can.” He kissed both of the tops of their heads and held them tightly.

“I keep saying you’ve taken good care of us.” Connie told him. “You’re nicer than the people we have to live with now.”

“They won’t let me eat seconds.” Sasha complained still nuzzled into his chest. “They yelled at Connie when he tried to save me some.”

“They have a lot of mouths to feed Sash.” Levi reasoned with her. “And it’s hard to keep your bottomless stomach happy.” He poked her in the stomach which brought out a giggle finally.

“Levi!” Mikasa ran in and shoved her way between Sasha and Connie. She gripped onto his shirt with her tiny hands like he would disappear if she let go. Connie stepped back and joined Jean so Mikasa could get closer.

“Hey little Mika.” Levi gave her kisses on her cheeks and her forehead. He held the girls tightly as they Mikasa trembled and Sasha cried into his shirt. Once Sasha calmed down, she went to join Connie. Levi picked up Mikasa and gave Jean a hug. “Thanks for staying with them.” Levi whispered.

“I’m trying but I’m ready to kick someone’s ass.” Jean replied quietly. “Keep telling the pricks they’re idiots.” He returned the hug though, even though it was much shorter than the others. He played with Mikasa’s hair while she still clung to Levi.

“I found a place.” Levi said smiling and looking at everyone. “I really think you’ll like it. I’m going to make sure it’s perfect for all of you.”

Jean stepped closer again, mindful of the watchful eyes. “Just don’t get yourself killed trying to get it for us. I can see the bruises under that bad makeup job.” He fixed Levi’s collar for him, which Sasha had pushed down while she was crying.

“He won’t be an issue anymore.” Levi responded. “He got banned.”

Jean frowned seeming to understand that he must have done something really bad to get banned from the brothel.

“Can we go home yet?” Mika asked looking up at Levi with tearful eyes.

“Soon. Once the place is all ready for you.” He pushed his forehead into hers. She grabbed onto his neck tighter. He hissed when she hit a sore spot but didn’t try to move her.

“Come with us then.” Mikasa said not understanding.

“Mika honey. I can’t.”

“But I can’t sleep.” She buried her head into him.

“She keeps dreaming you’re like her parents.” Sasha supplied looking up to Levi. “We keep telling her you’re ok, but she doesn’t believe us.”

“I’m sorry Miksasa. But look. I’m ok see?” He smiled broadly for her.

“I’m sorry Levi, but they’ll need to go now.” Petra said by the door. Connie and Sasha ran to his legs, each clutching one and glared at Petra.

“No.”

“We want to stay with Levi. He lets me eat all the food.”

“And Mika doesn’t have nightmares.”

“Come on guys. You give the lady a hard time, and she’s not going to let us see Levi at all.” Jean warned, his voice dark.

Sasha looked over to Erwin “I lied about everything. Levi’s the best and he takes care of us, and he’s not in any danger and I eat lots of food.”

“Sasha, you’ve got to stop blaming yourself. It’s ok honey. It’s not your fault. This one’s on me. But I promise I’m going to do it right, and no one’s going to take you guys away from me again soon. I’ll make sure there’s lots of food for the bottomless pit.” He patted her hair gently.

Jean moved in to take Mikasa and to step in the way while Levi hid the marks on his neck better. Mikasa screamed and kicked reaching out to Levi causing Levi’s heart to break all over again. Jean tried his best to sooth her and glared at Petra and Erwin.

“Jean.” Levi warned.

“I know. Be good. Don’t run away. Watch out for the brats.”

Levi dislodged Connie and Sasha pushing them to Jean. “Soon. I promise.”

“Better be or we’re leaving.” Jean said as he passed Petra. “I’m not sticking around in a shittier place than the place I got taken from for much longer.”

Levi followed them all out and put on a brave face while waving and smiling at them while they went to their foster parent’s car.

Erwin patted his shoulder and this time Levi didn’t swat him away. “They’ll be ok. You did really well for them.”

“Of course I did. They’re my everything. I’d do anything for them.” Levi said as he looked at the ground. He felt so worn out. “If I didn’t have them, I would have died a long time ago.” He turned to Petra. “Please don’t take what Jean said to heart. If they run to me before I get custody again, I’ll call.” He held up the business card she had given her.

“Is there a number I can reach you on, in case there’s any updates?”

He scribbled down Hange’s number. “I don’t have my own yet. I’m getting a phone soon. But if you call this number, she’ll get in touch with me.”

Levi didn’t know how he made it back to the hotel. He felt numb after the meeting. He gave a small wave to Moblit as he passed and fell into his bed face first. He needed to go to work in a few hours, but he felt so exhausted.

“Levi, how did things go today?” He her the key click as Hange let herself in. Levi groaned. He supposed that was the problem becoming friends with the hotel manager. He managed to push himself up and sit up.

“As well as can be expected, I guess. The girls aren’t doing well. The woman who now has my case is actually one of my clients. Oh, and while trying to find any other family they could give the kids custody to they found my Uncle Kenny.”

Hange’s face darkened. “They’re not trying to contact him, are they?”

“Seemed like they tried to but couldn’t find him. Petra said I was doing everything right so far though. She seemed to approve of the apartment. I just need to let her know once I hear.” He flopped back onto his bed.

“As much as I loved seeing the kids it exhausted me. It’s so hard to let Mika go. She’s so upset.” He said as he brought his arm to cover his eyes.

“It won’t be much longer. Why don’t you take a nap? I’ll make sure you’re up for work.”

Levi did just that, receiving a phone call from the front desk an hour before he needed to be at work. He got changed and walked to the brothel. The girls surrounded him when he came in asking if he was ok and if he needed anything. He had one of them help cover up his marks again then sent them on their way so he could deal with his customers. He felt one of the girls had a hand in his customers again because most of them just wanted oral and one just wanted steamy make out session. It was a pretty easy night for him.

After that day, his life went back to a routine. Go work at the diner, then go straight to the brothel until the early hours of the morning. Usually Hange was there to greet him when he got back. It had been a few days and he hadn’t heard from Eren yet. Hange had made a list for him, but he decided to wait until after he got the place before he went on a shopping spree. Hange picked him up from the diner one day, insisting that he go get a checking account rather than keep all the cash he had on him all the time. So, for the first time ever he opened a checking account and listened intently to the banker when she told him about what would cause him to get charged extra fees. She stopped at a mobile phone store next and helped him pick out a cheap phone. He decided to get one for Jean too since he was home with the kids a lot and it wasn’t much more a month to add an extra line. Hange took both phones and put herself, Eren and Erwin in both of them, and text each of them using Levi’s line to let them know his new number. He didn’t really understand texting yet but figured he would get the hang of it. Hange dropped him off at the brothel, telling him to be careful before she drove off.

The next day he finally got the call from Eren while he was working at the diner. _“You sitting down?”_ Eren asked as Levi answered.

“I didn’t get it did I? They found something and the lady doesn’t want to rent to a failure like me.”

_“Nope, everything came back fine. Apartment is all yours. I have the keys now.”_

“Fuck!” Levi jumped up and was glad for once the diner was empty. Reeves was watching him waiting to hear the news. “You mean it? You’re not joking with me?”

 _“That would be a mean joke to play.”_ Eren chided. _“Maybe I’d try it on Hange, but not to you.”_

“I got the place!” Levi screamed to Reeves. The older man smiled at him congratulating him.

_“Levi you’ve gotta hold the phone back if you’re going to scream. I feel like Hange is starting to wear off on you. I’m going to have to visit you more, so you don’t get too corrupted._

“I’m sorry Eren. I’m still getting used to this thing and I’m excited.”

_“When are you free? I can drop off the keys and take you out for a celebratory meal.”_

“I work tonight but I’m off from the diner tomorrow if you’re free during the day.”

_“Yeah I’m not doing anything tomorrow yet. Sounds good. Oh, and don’t tell Hange you’re seeing me tomorrow. She’ll just invite herself to come along again.”_

“I can tell her about the place, though right?”

_“Yeah that’s fine. And congratulations Levi. This is a big step. I hope it works out for you.”_

“Thanks, I’m going to call the social worker and let her know too.”

_“Alright I’ll see you tomorrow. I’ll come pick you up at 10 am.”_

“Thanks, Eren.” Levi hung up with him and called the number Petra had gave him.

“Ms. Ral? He asked not sure if it was appropriate for him to be less formal. “It’s Levi Ackerman.”

_“Levi hello, how are you today?”_

“I’m good thank you. I just got news that I got the apartment. My realtor is bringing me the keys tomorrow.”

_“That’s wonderful to hear Levi. I’ll go ahead and schedule an inspection for this week. Is there any day that works best for you?”_

“I’ll be off my night job for two days after tomorrow. But I work at the diner every day. He looked over Reeves. “I can probably leave early or come in late one of those days if that works better for you.” The owner nodded his head in approval.

_“No after work will be fine. I’ll come the day after next I’ll schedule it for 6 o clock.”_

“6 o’ clock. Got it.” Levi wrote the day and time on a napkin. Hanging up with Petra Levi screamed again. “I got the place!”

“Congrats kid.” Reeves handed him an envelope. Levi took it looking at the man quizzically. He opened it and found a hefty check inside.

“Sir, I can’t take this.” Levi said trying to hand the envelope back.

“Yes, you can kid. You’ve honestly been one of my best workers in a long time. Consider it a bonus for all of your hard work if you won’t take it as a gift.” He wrapped Levi’s hand around the envelope. “You’re gonna need to have some extra cash now anyways.”

“Sir- “

“If you don’t take it, I’m going to take the money, drop it off at the hotel to that friend you brought in, and send her to get you things for the house.” The old man warned. “And I’m sure she’ll give you hell for it.”

Levi swallowed hard just thinking of Hange’s response. He took the envelope and gave the man a hug. “Thank you. Thank you for giving me a chance.” He said almost in tears.

“Sure thing kid.” The man patted him on the back, sounding choked up himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I'm terrible at transitions between chapters. I can't seem to make them any less choppy.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren and Levi go shopping. They run into an unpleasant acquaintance.

Levi stood outside waiting for Eren to arrive. He smiled when he saw Eren’s car pulling in. Eren put his window down and pushed down his glasses.

“Did you manage to sneak away from the demon?” Eren asked as he looked around behind Levi. Levi laughed at him as he made his way over to the passenger seat.

“I think she’s still sleeping.”

“Oh, thank God.” Eren said as he thumped his head on the headrest. “I love the woman like a sister, but man does she wear me out.” Smiling again he turned his head to Levi and held out his hand. “Here you go mister renter.” Levi held out his hands and Eren dropped the keys into them. There are 3 sets to the house, and one of those is for the shed in your portion of the yard. Do you want to go check it out first? Or do you want go shopping and get some food after?”

“I’d like to get some of the shopping done. No sense going there until I have some things to put in it.” He pulled out a piece of paper from his back pocket. “Hange helped me make a list of what she suggested I get first.”

“Alright. Shopping it is then.” Eren pulled away and drove onto the highway. “Don’t worry I know how to shop on a budget.”

Levi looked out the window as Eren drove, content with the silence between them. Eren pulled into a thrift shop and exited the car. Levi couldn’t help but notice that Eren was looking good today. He had on a pair of tan slacks and an olive-green henley. Levi suddenly felt bad standing next to him in Jean’s oversized clothes. Eren grabbed a shopping cart and held out his hand for the list Hange gave Levi. Levi handed it over and Eren scanned over it quickly. “Well since we need about everything, I suppose it doesn’t matter where we start. Might as well just make our way round the store then.”

He and Levi walked down the kitchen isle side by side. Levi was checking the prices and was surprised to see how cheap they were. “None of this stuff looks bad but is says it’s used.”

“Yeah, you’d be surprised how much stuff places like this get, especially around here. Someone wants to update their kitchen and suddenly their white colander just doesn’t go with the new look.” He rolled his eyes. “This place also gets a lot of estate stuff. Hey look, this has a decent amount of the dish set here.” They walked down the aisle and picked things up as they went along, Eren checking with Levi before putting it in the cart. He also made some suggestions of his own on the list that Hange hadn’t thought of.

When they got to the back of the store Levi saw it was all furniture. When he had made a budget with Hange last night, he figured out how much he could spend to get the necessities for now. He went over to beds and began looking at prices.

“How old are the kids again?” Eren asked as he plopped down on an old couch.

“Mika’s the youngest. She just turned 5. Sasha and Connie are both 9 and Jean is 16.”

“Hmm you could probably do bunk beds for the girl’s room, but with the age gap with the boys you’d be better off getting each their own bed.” He pointed to a futon not far from where they were standing. “Something like that would be good for the teen. It will also save some space in the room, and futons are pretty cheap.”

Levi went to sit on one of them. It was relatively comfortable. Eren came to join him and leaning close to Levi, he pulled on something which made the back drop. Levi fell backwards and Eren hovered over him. Levi blushed, although he wasn’t sure why. He was used to men being over him at work.

“Whoops, suppose I should have warned you.” Eren laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. “How does it feel though? Sometimes you can feel the springs on futons when you’re laying down.”

Levi pushed himself back some. “I don’t feel anything. I’m smaller than Jean though.”

“Alright then.” Eren laid beside him and rolled around a little bit. “Not bad. I feel one by the edge but this one’s pretty decent.” He sat up and reached over Levi to look at the price “and really cheap.”

“Uh-alright. I’ll get this then.” He looked over at some bunk beds for the girl’s room, picking a white metal one that wasn’t as high as the others. Eren waved him over to a small twin bed for Connie.

“I’m going to go get one of the workers, let them know which ones you want so they can mark them sold. Go ahead and start looking for your bed.”

Levi sat on another futon while he waited for Eren to come back, he even tried it out like Eren had suggested, not finding anything wrong with it. It seemed to have more cushion than the other one, so he decided he’d put this one in Jean’s room. Eren was smiling happily when he came back with someone.

“Good news, they can deliver and assemble for you.” Eren said as he sat down next to him. Levi told the worker which beds he was interested in and the lady wrote the numbers for each down.

“Do you think I should get a couch now?” Levi asked as he looked up at Eren. “It’s not really a necessity.”

“It would be nice if you can afford it. It will show them that you’re more on top of things than if child services walk into an empty room. I’d say get a couch and a table for now. They don’t need to be anything fancy. Tv’s and all that can wait.”

Levi picked out a couch and a small coffee table that would match it. He also ended up getting 2 small bean bag chairs. He figured the kids would like them and they were pretty cheap. Even with coming to the thrift shop, he was low on funds after this little trip. He made arrangements with the lady to have his furniture delivered the next day. He noticed Eren had given the woman some money, but he hadn’t seen the older man buy anything of his own.

They stopped at a grocery store next, and Levi picked up some essentials for food. He didn’t bother getting the kids favorites just yet but wanted to make sure that there was something in the house when Petra came. Eren pushed the cart and had a bemused look on his face while he watched Levi shop. Especially when Levi started to add all the cleaning supplies to the cart.

“You do realize the place is going to be clean right?”

“Psh. Not to my standards.” Levi surmised and Eren laughed. “This is the first real place I’ve lived in in years. I’m making it spotless. No more abandoned shit holes for me.”

Eren frowned slightly at this but tried to keep his voice light to brighten the mood again. “Hmm, I suppose that means I’m going to have to clean for days before you ever come to my place. I guess this is why Hange said you’d be good at housekeeping.”

“Yeah, it certainly puts my OCD to good use. Reeves usually yells at me for overcleaning at the diner.”

“I’ve definitely never walked into a cleaner one than that place. When I show it, people are going to think it was professionally cleaned.” He leaned into the cart more. “Maybe you should go into a cleaning business or start one of your own. It’s something you don’t seem to mind, and I know they get decent pay since I’ve had to pay the companies who come in for the houses I show.” He shuddered slightly as he turned the corner to the next isle. “Don’t ever offer to do a hoarder house though, no matter what they offer you. You’ll have a heart attack.”

While he realized Eren was kidding to an extent Levi pondered on it. “Maybe we’ll see how well I do at the hotel cleaning first. It’s one thing to expect my own place to be spotless but another to go into someone else’s and demand the same.”

“Fair enough.” They were leaving the cleaning isle and moving into frozen foods. Levi had never really spent much time looking at all the options for frozen stuff before. The homes they stayed at rarely had electricity, and hotel fridges had tiny freezers if any. Eren was as observant as Hange though, and when he saw Levi’s trepidations, he grabbed a wrist softly. “I’ll show you what I like best. They make for quick meals for both you and the kids and they’re dirt cheap.” Eren led them a bunch of tv dinners. He opened the freezer and started to grab stacks of them throwing them into the cart. He also grabbed frozen pot pies nearby. “When you get the kids back, even the older ones could heat up these bad boys.” Finally, Levi got some lunch meat and bread so he could make some quick sandwiches. He turned to Eren. “You mind staying with the cart a minute? I’m going to run to the restroom before we leave.”

“Sure. You want to take one of the wipe packs with you?” Eren teased.

Levi rolled his eyes. “Don’t even tempt me. Public restrooms are disgusting.” He heard Eren’s quiet laughter behind him.

Levi was finishing washing his hands when he heard someone enter the bathroom. He didn’t really pay it any mind, just focused on washing profusely before rejoining Eren.

“I thought I recognized you, you filthy whore.” Levi froze when he heard the voice. It was the man from the other night. “You got me banned you little bitch.” He said closer this time near Levi’s ear. Levi looked up to see the man hovering behind him with a feral look in his eyes. Before Levi could react, the man smashed his head into the mirror. Levi groaned and gripped onto the sink. The mirror was cracked from the impact and Levi could see blood begin to trickle down his head. The man had a tight grip on his neck and pushed Levi down toward the sink more as he ran a hand over his ass. The water was still running, and Levi’s head was pushed under it. He tried to push up from the sink, but the man was too heavy compared to his smaller form. The man shoved one leg between Levi’s and Levi tried to push away again once he felt the bulge in the man’s pants. The man shoved his head, so he hit the sink again and Levi struggled to even breathe under the running water.

“I never get to go back there because of you whore. Then that bitch made me give you extra money. Well, you’re about to earn it back.” Levi started to sputter under the water and tried to bring one of his legs behind the other mans, but no matter what he did, he couldn’t get the man off him. The man started to pull down on Levi’s pants when Levi heard banging behind them. The weight was off of him before his mind could register what happened and he lifted his head out of the water gasping for air as he collapsed to the ground. He looked up from the floor to see Eren there, the man pinned against the wall. The look on Eren’s face was terrifying.

“Look buddy, you can have him back once I’m done with him. The whore owes me money. So just- “

Eren’s fist slammed into the wall next to the man’s face and Levi heard him squeak a little. “Say one more word and I’ll make it so you need to drink out of a damn straw.” Eren said menacingly, his voice several octaves lower than his usual jovial self. He pushed his elbow harder into the man’s face as he pulled out his phone.

“What you gonna do you shit? I own the fucking cops.”

“Not all of them.” Eren said as he texted rather than called someone. He turned his head to Levi. “You good?”

Levi was having a hard time focusing. It seemed almost as though his head was still under the water. He blinked a few times before he realized Eren was talking to him, and finally nodded. Every time the man tried to move Eren shoved him harder into the wall, bringing up his arm in a tight and painful looking hold.

Levi wasn’t sure if it was minutes or hours before he saw two officers come in the door. Levi just noticed the door was off the hinge. The man must have locked it when he came in after him, and Eren busted through it.

“I take it this is the guy?” The muscular blonde asked standing next to a short blonde. “Well at least his face isn’t bashed in.” He looked at the door appreciatively.

“Get this psycho off me. I came in here to take a piss and he attacked me.”

“Oh yeah? How’d that guy’s head get cut up? Or the mirror broken.”

“It was this beast.” The guy pushed back against Eren. Rather than stop him though, Eren released him, but not before handing a bag to the girl. The man’s eyes widened and Eren smirked at him while he walked past the officers to kneel in front of Levi.

The woman looked at the pills in the bag. “Looks like you planned on having fun one way or the other. Do you want to cuff him Reiner, or do you want me to?”

“Look, this was all a misunderstanding. Here why don’t you just take this- “He stopped when he felt his back pockets and Levi saw Eren give an evil grin. He held a wallet in his hands.

“You fucking thief.” He tried to rush Eren who was quick to stand back up, but he never made it to him before the officers had him pinned to the wall, the guy pulling out his cuffs. He led him out the door while his partner stayed behind. She held out her hand to Eren.

“You know I can’t let you keep that.”

“Sure Annie, no problem.” He pulled out the man’s ID and looked at it before holding it out to the officer. He still gripped it when she grabbed it. “What if you take it with $100 less in it.”

She sighed at him. “I know that guy. He’s not lying when he says he owns a portion of the force. We won’t be able to keep him long. So, it’s best for everyone if you play nice. Otherwise he’ll charge you for theft.” She knelt down in front of Levi she tilted his head so she could see the wound. “You want me to call an ambulance or anything?” Her face showed no emotion as she examined him. Levi shook his head then groaned softly when the movement brought a wave of nausea. “Alright, it’s your choice. Eren keep an eye on him if he doesn’t want to go to the hospital. Looks like he may have a concussion. She stood up and brushed her hands on her legs. “I hate to say it, but you’re better off just going home rather than pressing charges. We’ll try to get him for the possession, but with his connections, no charges are going to stick.”

“I should have just kicked his ass then.” Eren seethed his hands clenching into fists.

“You did good Eren.” She patted his shoulder gently. “Get your friend home and watch him.”

“I’ll call Armin if he gets bad. Thanks for coming. Tell Reiner thanks too. I owe you both one.”

“Hmph. Don’t forget it. I’ll see you soon.” Levi watched her leave, everything seeming a little hazy.

“Levi. I’m going to grab onto you to help you up ok?” Eren asked quietly. Levi gave him a small nod and he felt strong arms wrap around his waist and his arm was lifted over Eren’s shoulder. Levi was closer to him than he’d ever been. His eyes were a darker shade than they usually were. He heard a small chuckle come from Eren. “I didn’t know you were watching my eyes so closely all this time.” Levi looked up at him in confusion. “You’re thinking out loud bud. But go ahead, keep the praises coming.” Eren walked with Levi slowly to the car, ignoring all the stares they were getting. He slumped into Eren. He felt the man get him into the car and buckle his seatbelt. He laid his head on the window. Distantly, he heard Eren talking to someone, but didn’t seem to understand it at the moment. “Levi, I need you to stay awake ok? Talk to me. If you have a concussion you can’t go to sleep.” He felt a hand on his bicep give him a shake and Levi instinctively cringed away from it. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I just need to make sure you stay awake.”

Eren pulled into the hotel and rather than make his way to Levi’s room, led him to Hange’s apartment. He ignored Moblit’s questions as he practically dragged Levi up the steps.

“Moblit, can you get me a first aid kit?” Eren sent a message again before more thoroughly looking Levi over. Levi had begun to shake and Eren grabbed one of Hange’s blankets wrapping it tightly around him. 

“Thanks, Moblit. Can you send Armin up when he gets here? I want him to take a look at him.” Eren ran his hand gently through Levi’s hair. Levi cringed when he saw Eren’s hand had blood on it. “Well, you must not be that bad if you still have your cleanliness habits. You said you were working tonight. Do you need me to call anyone?”

 _Work._ The brothel. That man. 3 times now Levi had encountered that man. Each time worse than the last. He may not have gotten far this time before Eren arrived but if he hadn’t come when he did, Levi shuddered.

“Levi? Did you hear me?” Eren asked beside him. His voice seemed distraught somehow.

“You don’t need to call anyone. I am on leave until I choose to go back.” Levi said quietly. “They had me take off after he- “

“That same guy was the reason for your other bruises?” Levi heard the intake of his breath. “I should have killed him.” His hands clenched and unclenched beside him.

There was a knock on the door and Eren yelled for the person to come in. A blonde man entered. “Eren this is my friend Armin. He’s a nurse. I want him to take a look at your head ok?”

“Hi Levi, is it alright if I touch your head?” Armin asked in front of him. Levi nodded and tilted his head so Armin could see it better. Using a pair of tweezers, he pulled out a couple shards of the mirror and wrapped a bandage around his head. He had Levi look into a pen light and had him follow what should have been simple commands. The light hurt and he had a hard time focusing. “How long have you been feeling cold Levi?” Armin asked him as he took one of his hands and put a gentle bit of pressure on his wrist.

“Since Eren pulled the guy away. It started after that. He was holding my head under water.”

Armin nodded. He also gently pressed on Levi’s cheekbone. Levi didn’t recall getting hit there again. Then it finally dawned on him, the makeup he wore must be gone. He closed his eyes as though that would make it go away.

“I’d say he has a concussion, but you’d have to go to the hospital for sure. I also think he’s in shock.”

“No hospitals, please.” Levi begged gripping the man’s wrist.

“He’s trying to get custody again of some kids.” Eren explained. Child services will be watching him like a hawk. Plus, I’m assuming some of it is a money issue.” Levi hung his head but nodded. He felt a wave of nausea and pushed the blonde out of his way while he stumbled to Hange’s bathroom. He was glad he and Eren didn’t get lunch yet. As it was, he didn’t have much in his stomach since the last thing he ate was diner food before he left his shift yesterday. He groaned and laid his head on the toilet seat, too exhausted to care about whether it was clean or not.

“Levi?” Eren slowly entered the small bath. “You ok?”

“Better now, I think. Just so tired.”

“You can’t go to sleep yet. Armin did say you can have some medicine though.”

“Oh.” He pushed off the toilet seat and sat against the wall. Eren held out some pills and a glass of water. He took all of the pills at once and drank the whole glass of water trying to clean out his mouth. “Where is your friend?”

“He left. He only came before his shift to check you out for me.” Levi’s eyebrow twitched at Eren’s choice of words.

“Can you help me up?” He asked holding out his arms. Eren stood up and lifted him off his feet. He helped him back to the couch, carefully wrapping the blanket around him again while he shuffled into the kitchen.

“Why are we at Hange’s place? Levi asked finally able to focus a little more. “Where is Hange?”

“Hange’s place is closer than mine, and your place doesn’t have anything in it yet. I figured Hange would have a first aid kit nearby too. She had to leave for a bit, but I let her know we were coming here.” Eren brought Levi a warm cup of tea and Levi took it gratefully. He found himself sitting closer to Eren than he probably should, but the man was warm and after some time, Levi started to feel somewhat better. 

“Eren!” Levi heard Hange before he saw her. She stormed through her own door. “Are you both ok?” Levi noticed she had a pile of grocery bags with her. “I saw the restroom. You lied to me.”

“I didn’t want you to get upset.” Eren said as he sat up from the couch. He took the bags from her and started putting items in her fridge and freezer while she inspected Levi.

“Annie and Reiner took the guy in custody. I also had Armin take a look at him. I got a good look at the guys name and address too. Good old pickpocketing skills went to good use today.”

“I feel as though I should say you were being rather reckless. However, I’m actually quite proud of how you handled it.”

“Yeah I didn’t send him to the hospital, although I wish I had.” Eren swapped out teacups from Levi, giving him another warm tea.

“What’s in all the bags?” Levi asked as Hange continued her inspection.

“All the things we left at the store. I messaged Hange to go get them for us.”

“Food’s on its way here too. Moblit will bring it up when it gets here.” She sat on her coffee table and leaned in close to Levi. “Are you all right dear? Nothing happened like last time did it?”

“No, Eren came in before that.” Levi said and shivered involuntarily.

“Armin and Annie both think he has a concussion, and he was in shock earlier. It seems to be wearing off though.” Eren took his spot back on the couch. “Armin said he’d come by in the morning too to see how he was doing.” He looked over at Levi. “He said you’d need someone with you tonight. So, they can check on you every couple hours.”

Hange clapped her hands together. “Slumber party!” Eren and Levi both rolled their eyes at her. “We can stay in Levi’s room.”

Hange joined them on the couch, Levi sitting in between them. Eren put a movie on while they talked, and soon Moblit arrived with food. Since his replacement came in for his shift, he joined them for dinner.

“So, you never made it to the new place? That’s disappointing.”

“Oh, how much do I owe you for the groceries today?” Levi asked trying to reach his wallet.

“Don’t worry about it dear. Consider it a housewarming gift. Although I’m disappointed, I didn’t go shopping with you guys today.” She glared at Eren. “Someone said you were going tomorrow.”

Eren laughed and dodged the pillow that came at him. “Oops must have messed up the days. Furniture is coming tomorrow though if you want to help with that.”

Hange pouted. “That’s not the fun job.”

Levi groaned. “Oh no. I wanted to clean before the furniture came. I guess I can wake up early before the diner shift and get the bedrooms done at least.

“You do know it’s clean already right?” Hange asked and Eren shook his head, a smile on his face.

“We had that discussion at the store. He’s going to raise the bar for your hotel Hange.” Eren looked down at Levi. “I don’t know if you should be doing all that so soon, but I don’t think I can stop you. So, instead I’ll supervise.”

“Ah the life of a realtor. Able to make your own hours on a whim.”

“Says the woman who owns a hotel. You don’t actually need to work it you know. You just still do because you like it.”

“Gives me something to do rather than sitting here alone when I can’t sleep.”

After dinner, Moblit said his farewells and Hange, Eren and Levi went to Levi’s room for the night. Why both of them were coming, Levi wasn’t sure, but they didn’t take no for an answer very well. Eren brought extra pillows, insisting on making a pillow fort between Hange and himself, taking the one bed and allowing Levi to sleep alone in the other. They put another movie on, and Levi fell into a sleepy state, still awake but not really focusing. Hange and Eren had come up with some sort of shift cycle so they could check on him every few hours. Since Hange was used to being up, she agreed to stay up first. She let Levi have some more medicine after a few hours. Levi watched Eren sleep in the other bed. He snored quietly and, in some way, Levi found it soothing. He found himself drifting off to sleep, trying to put the day’s events behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm catching up to where I'm still writing in the story in just a couple chapters, so updates will likely be slower from here on out, but I'll still try to update as quickly as I can. Thanks again to those who have left messages and Kudos so far. It's really helped me to not abandon this story.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hange and Eren throw an impromptu party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first attempt at a more lemony chapter so I hope it comes off across the way it seems in my head. There's also a change in POV in this chapter. Let me know if you like hearing from Eren's perspective or not in the comments.

Over the next couple days, Levi, with the help of Eren and Hange, made the apartment suitable for the visit that was occurring later that day. The furniture had arrived yesterday after Levi’s shift at the diner. Eren had kept up his agreement and joined him early before the shift to clean the place top to bottom to Levi’s specifications. He reverently put away the items the children had and put them in their rooms, taking pictures with Jean’s phone so he could show the others. Eren needed to help him take the photos, which he willingly agreed to. While he showed Levi how to do it, he ended up taking most of the pictures himself. Levi’s tended to be blurry or his fingers were in view of the camera. He had gone back to the brothel afterwards, and the other workers were happy to see him. The owner was personally scanning all of his clients tonight to make sure he didn’t have any troublesome ones. Still, he found it odd to be doing the work. He never particularly cared for it, and while he would feel physically dirty after some of his clients before, he never felt emotionally gross doing it. It was a job, and one that he normally performed well. Now he felt like he was going through the motions and wanted the night to be over with quickly.

One thing that seemed to help was imagining teal eyes and a mop of brunette hair rather than the old client above him. He shook his head at the thought. Eren showed no interest in him rather than a friend, and after yesterday he doubted Eren would ever be interested in anything more. That was fine. Levi had never found a use for relationships. He’d never really dated anyone, more focused on his own survival and then taking care of the other children. He found people attractive, but nothing more, which is why it bothered him he couldn’t seem to shake the puppy dog look of the older man with his ridiculous smile.

Today was the day Petra would be coming to look at the apartment. Eren had stopped by after Levi’s diner shift again to help with any last-minute things, bringing some of the stuff he used when staging houses for home visits to give it more of a lived-in look. He had left about an hour before Petra was going to arrive, saying he had some clients he needed to show some homes to. He made Levi promise to text or call once Petra left. Levi made a pot of tea and set out some cookies Eren had brought. He walked around anxiously until he heard the knock on the door. He rushed to answer it and gave Petra a smile when she walked in. She was dressed in a navy dress suit and had a clipboard in her hand. She smiled back and took in the room while Levi shut the door.

“Do you want anything to drink?” There’s tea and cookies, or there’s water.

“I’m alright for now but thank you. It looks like you’ve been able to do a lot these last couple days.”

“I have a lot riding on this visit. Oh, here.” Levi handed a phone to Petra. “This is for Jean. I put him on my phone plan. I understand if he can’t have it yet, but if you can, let him show the others the pictures on it.”

“Hmm, I don’t really see a reason why he can’t have it, but I’ll check with the foster family.” Petra walked around the apartment, and unsure what to do, Levi followed. He answered any questions Petra had, and would occasionally see her writing notes on her clipboard.

“I haven’t been able to get the child locks you suggested yet, but I made sure that all the chemicals would be out of reach.” Levi showed her the small cupboard next to the washer and dryer where he had put the cleaning supplies. Petra nodded. He showed her the outside, and like Eren had said, she seemed happy that it was fenced in.

“This is all really nice Levi. I’m impressed truly. Will you be able to maintain it? Do you have enough money coming in to pay the bills?”

Levi nodded. “I already came up with a budget before I signed on the apartment. The diner is closing, but I have a job starting at a hotel once that’s done.” He and Petra had sat down at the table and she took the tea he handed her while he sipped on his own.

“While I don’t have it on the report at all, I’d like to see you leave your other job soon as well.” Petra said as she looked at his eye. He had stopped bothering with the makeup the last couple days since it had yellowed. He was thankful most of the cuts on his head were covered up by his hair.

“I would like that too.” Levi admitted. “I just don’t know what else I can do. A high school drop out with no real skills. But if that stops me from getting the kids back, I’ll leave and get 3 more jobs if I need to.”

“Hold off on that for now. Just try to come up with some exit plan.” Petra sipped her tea and ate one of the cookies. “All in all, I’d say that this is enough progress. I’ll put in a proposal to have the children put back in your custody. Levi’s face lit up and Petra put up a hand. “Remember this will be a trial basis, and you would have scheduled and unscheduled visits by myself and possibly by other social workers. We’ll also be looking to see that they are still doing well in school.”

“I’m fine with all of that.” Levi said nodding enthusiastically.

“It’s just a proposal at this point, but considering the principal seems to be retracting some of his concerns I’d say that it’s looking good for you.”

Levi slumped in his chair. “That’s a relief.” He let a small smile cross his face. It hadn’t all been for nothing.

“I’ll make sure Jean sees the pictures.” Petra said as she stood. Levi jumped up to join her. “Thanks for the time today.” He walked her out the door and pulled out his phone, messaging Hange and Eren letting them both know how it went. He emptied the tea pot and put away the cookies before he went to work at the brothel. Hange messaged him and said she’d bring his stuff to the house. He’d given her a spare key for emergencies, and it seemed as though she was going to be putting it to good use. He replied between clients telling her she better take her shoes off when she went in. It was odd to walk to his new apartment after work. It was a longer walk, but he didn’t mind since he was going back to something that was his.

\----------

Eren smiled when he saw the message from Levi. Finally, he seemed to be catching a bit of a break. Eren messaged Hange, telling her to meet him at the apartment. He knew Levi had given her a key because she had gloated to him about it. She was already there when he arrived, but both of them had parked about a block away so Levi wouldn’t see their cars. Hange had brought the rest of the stuff from Levi’s hotel room, along with random things she had brought to decorate the living room.

“Make sure your shoes are off. Levi threatened me when I told him I was coming.” Hange said when she saw him walk in.

“He’s underage right? So why is there so much alcohol on the table?” Eren asked as he untied his shoes.

“It’s for us silly.” She pointed to what looked like a champagne glass. “I got him sparkling soda.”

“That’s a lot of alcohol just for us.” She had out 2 wine glasses, a six pack of Eren’s choice of beer, a bottle of vodka, and a bottle of tequila. “I don’t think Levi will appreciate it when you’re hurling all over his apartment.”

“We’re celebrating silly. Now hurry up and help me put up these decorations.”

Eren handled hanging the streamers she had bought. He was careful how he put them up because he had already observed Levi’s OCD habits. He hoped this little impromptu party wouldn’t backfire on them. Hange had grabbed some take out and placed it on the table along with some snacks. Eren had to remind her that it was just them, but she said at least Levi wouldn’t get upset about leftovers this way. So, in her own way, it was making sure the kid ate something. Eren had been doing the same thing since he met Levi. He always seemed so focused on those around him he would forget about himself. Even when he and Eren went shopping, everything was the kids. He had to remind him to buy things he would need. He admired Levi for it. Eren wasn’t sure if he could be that selfless especially so young.

It was nearing the time when Levi normally showed up to the hotel, so they turned off the lights and waited in the stairwell for him to return. Hange was bouncing next to him and grinning happily. He had to stop her from jumping out too soon when they heard the keys in the door. Levi walked in and turned on the light, and Eren released Hange who sprung out “Surprise!” Hange yelled. Eren joined her but not as enthusiastically.

Levi looked around the room, and while his face didn’t show much emotion, Eren had already learned to look for the little things, and he seemed pleasantly surprised. “What is all this?” Levi asked.

“We knew you wouldn’t say yes to a housewarming party, so we made one anyways. We’ll have another one when the kids come too.” Hange said wrapping her arms around Levi. At first, he didn’t react, but soon his arms wrapped around her too.

“Hange loves her parties. I’m pretty sure it’s just because it gives her an excuse to drink.” Eren waved his hand toward the table with the alcohol and Levi’s eyes widened.

“How many people were you expecting to be here exactly?” Levi asked and Eren laughed.

“I’m sure Erwin’s getting some drunk messages tonight.” Eren joked as Levi looked around the room. Not only had Eren and Hange decorated, but they bought things for the house Levi hadn’t thought of or didn’t have the money for.

“Guys, this is too much.” Levi said quietly. He seemed overwhelmed for a moment.

Eren came forward and pulled him into a hug of his own. “If you ask me, it’s still not enough for what you deserve. You’ve been given a shitty hand in life.”

“But now you have us and we’re here to help make it better. No takebacks.” Hange said joining them and throwing her arms around them both. “Now come on! This is a party so let’s celebrate!”

Hange opened one of the bottles of wine and gave each of them a glass, toasting the new home. They each got a plate of food and sat around the living room. Hange ended up telling crazy stories about her younger years that had he and Levi cracking up laughing. Then she started to tell stories about Eren when he was a young troubled teen. He tried to tackle her, but she laughed and managed to throw him off still telling her stories. She left out the bad parts of Eren’s life at least, jumping over his abuse and the fights he would get into in his foster homes. He admitted he enjoyed hearing Hange talk so fondly of him, and Levi seemed interested to hear the stories.

“Eren had a hero complex with Erwin for quite a while after that.” Hange said as she was finishing telling one of her stories. “I think he might have had a crush on him too. Right.”

Eren scoffed. “Yeah right. The man’s straight as an arrow. Not to mention he would never date a student. Current or former. Even if he was bisexual, I feel like I might have to follow the bro code with you anyways.”

“Bro code? What’s that? Hange asked leaning into him. She had finished a whole bottle of wine by herself and Eren had hidden the tequila after she insisted all three of them had shots together. Apparently, she was foregoing the fact Levi was technically underage, but since they were here for the night no one seemed to mind.

“You don’t go after someone your friends dated.” Eren said rubbing his face. “How do you not know that? Don’t girls have something like that too?”

Hange waved her hand dismissively. “Girls are catty and backstabbers. I never really had many friends growing up anyways. I was too much for most people to deal with.”

“Well that much hasn’t changed.” Levi muttered, dodging the throw pillow that came flying toward his head.

Eren raised his beer signaling for the others to do the same. “Here’s to all of the outcasts. At least we have each other.” Hange drank her glass in one swig. Eren and Levi were a little more reserved, but Eren was starting to feel a pleasant buzz going throughout.

Their little get together continued until the early morning hours. Eren could see the blush of dawn through the windows when Hange finally passed out. Levi and Eren had already put the remaining food away and Levi struggled to clean up the coffee table. Eren put a steadying hand on his hip. “Hey there, I’ll get all this. Just sit down for a minute.”

“It needs to be spotless.” Levi mumbled as he sat on the couch waving his hand around. “There better not be any dirt on the table.”

“Even drunk you’re a clean freak.” Eren said jokingly. He threw away the empty bottles and hid the bottle of tequila in one of Levi’s cupboards. He used some cleaning wipes to clean up the table. “Dishes are going to have to wait Levi. We’ll end up breaking more than cleaning them.” He looked over the couch to see if Levi was still awake when he didn’t respond. “Come on, let’s get you to bed.” Levi grunted when Eren put an arm around his waist to help him stand. Levi leaned into him heavily, and his hands began to roam underneath Eren’s shirt. “Holy crap he’s built.” He heard Levi say, probably not realizing he said it out loud like the time he complemented Eren’s eyes. Eren chuckled as he took Levi to his bedroom and laid him on the futon. He stayed there a moment too long hovering over Levi, and his intoxicated brain overruled his cautious brain pressing his lips to Levi’s.

Levi’s eyes widened, but it wasn’t long before he responded, wrapping his arms around Eren, he pulled him into him opening his mouth in a sigh as Eren’s tongue pressed on his lips and began to explore the shorter man’s mouth. He tasted the wine Levi had been drinking. Levi soon fought for dominance in the kiss their tongues entangling as they each pushed the other further only pulling back when they needed to breathe.

“Well damn” Levi said breathlessly, his eyes full of lust as he looked up at Eren. He brought a hand up to Eren’s face. “Your eyes changed color.”

Eren chuckled as he leaned forward kissing the crook of Levi’s neck. “I’ve heard that before. Never bothered to look for myself though.” Levi moaned under him when he kissed the right spot. He watched Levi’s body arch up. “Hmm, you have no idea how long I’ve wanted to try that.” He said into Levi’s ear seeing him shiver. He sighed and pushed himself back, pleased Levi didn’t seem to want him to leave. He sat on the edge of the bed putting some distance between them. “As much as I’d love to continue, if I don’t stop now, I don’t think I will.” He rubbed his face. “We both had too much to drink for this. I don’t want to do anything you’ll regret later.” Eren’s mind wandered to how he saw Levi in the restroom, and he clenched his fist and bit his cheek.

Levi had sat up and managed to crawl into Eren’s lap while he was lost in thought. “I’m sober enough for this.” Levi said soothingly. “And while I appreciate the concern, I was quite happy a minute ago.” Eren wrapped his arms around him to keep him steady while Levi’s hands wandered under his shirt again. Levi’s hips pressed into his groin, and he felt the telltale signs of an erection starting. He doubted Levi didn’t notice. Eren resisted for a moment until Levi’s lips met his again, this time Levi’s hands roamed into his hair. Eren hissed and opened his mouth, submitting to the man’s whims above him. Levi gave him a gentle push onto the bed wrapping himself around Eren. Eren found the hem of Levi’s shirt and began to pull it up. Levi released his mouth and sat up earning him a groan of displeasure from Eren and Levi smirked at him as he started to take off his shirt. “Thought you wanted to stop.” Levi teased and rubbed his dick onto Eren’s again. Eren grabbed onto his hips and moaned. “Do you still want to leave?” Levi asked, a mischievous look in his eye. He threw his shirt onto the bed and Eren was left to feast his eyes on a nicely chiseled pale chest. He had less muscle mass than Eren did, his more toned, and he was a bit too skinny, but Eren could clearly see what would draw Levi’s customer’s in. He brought his hands up from Levi’s hips and trailed them up Levi’s side enjoying the look Levi was giving him.

“Fuck it.” Eren said sitting back up again and pulling Levi close as he kissed him passionately. Levi was trying to pull his shirt off too and Eren let him pull it up to his shoulders before he took over finally breaking their kiss. He enjoyed the feeling when their skin touched one another. “We may want to close the door though. I don’t think Hange will wake up for a while, but she might get a bit of an eye or an ear full.” He bit Levi’s neck lightly. “I’m not exactly quiet, and it’s been a really long time.”

Levi hummed into his ear but released him enough to shuffle off his lap. Eren felt the same sense of unease when he saw Levi stumble to the door, closing it, and making his way back to Eren. “Levi- “

“Shh. I’m fine.” Instead of Levi joining him back on the bed he dropped to his knees and undid Eren’s belt buckle. “I’m really interested in hearing how loud you can get now.” He said smiling up at him. He let one hand rub Eren’s cock under his clothes causing Eren to moan and fall back on the bed again. He didn’t resist when Levi started to pull down his pants, watching from the bed as Levi’s eyes filled with hunger. He saw Levi’s reaction when he saw Eren’s boxers. “Cartoons?” Levi asked and Eren sat up laughing again.

“Well I wasn’t expecting _this_ when I got dressed this morning. And they’re comfy. Who doesn’t like superheroes?”

Levi laughed with him as he continued to rub Eren’s cock. “I suppose they suit your personality. A kid at heart.” He pulled on the hem of the boxers, looking up at Eren to see his reaction as he did so. Eren couldn’t look away from those steel gray eyes. He was enchanted by them. Levi pulled the boxers down and they joined Eren’s pants at his ankles. Eren kicked them off completely along with his socks. An eyebrow went up again and he smirked. “And a piercing?”

“I did say I was a troubled teen, once right?” He moaned and grabbed onto Levi’s hair when he licked the ball of the piercing. “Fuck.” He landed back on the bed again keeping one hand in Levi’s hair, the other gripping the sheets under him. He became mindless when Levi’s tongue ran across the head and a hand gripped the base of his cock. He bit back another moan when his lips wrapped around his girth and he pulled all of Eren into his mouth. “Fuuuuckkk” Eren drug out the word, his hand gripping Levi’s hair harder. Levi moaned onto his dick causing vibrations that felt fantastic. When he looked down, he was greeted by Levi’s eyes looking up at him as he took him to the hilt, holding his head there. Eren held back the urge to thrust, not wanting to hurt him. Levi’s hands left his dick and he began a quick pace bobbing his head while reaching back and grabbing a handful of Eren’s ass. He’d stop deep throating for a moment, licking the head and around the piercing again and then sucked and licked his balls.

“Levi I’m not going to last much longer if you keep that up.” Eren hissed when he felt the back of Levi’s throat again. He released Eren’s dick with a loud pop and licked lips.

“Well, in that case- “He began to bob his head with fervor and Eren lost all sense of reasoning, feeling the build as Levi took him deep and his lips pressed tight sucking on him.

“Levi I’m gonna- “Eren gripped onto Levi’s hair again and pulled causing Levi to moan over his dick again. He thrust into Levi’s throat as he felt the warm sensation of cumming deep down his throat. He felt Levi swallowing around him milking everything out of him. Eren let go of his grip on Levi as he came down from his orgasm. “Shit. That was probably the best head I’ve ever had.” Levi released his dick with another loud pop and Eren looked down to see if he was alright. “Uh. Sorry about the end there.”

“I don’t mind.” Levi said licking his lips once more, making sure he swallowed all of Eren’s cum. It was quite a sight to behold for Eren. “It’s been awhile since I actually enjoyed that myself.” He saw Levi’s eyes grow distant. Eren sat up and cupped Levi’s head.

“Hey, come back to me.” He said quietly and Levi looked at him. There was sorrow in his eyes now and Eren gently stroked his face pulling him back to him on the bed. Levi wrapped himself around Eren tightly. Eren sighed and placed his head over top Levi’s “this is what I was worried about.” He muttered.

“Sorry. Kind of killed the mood huh?” Levi asked as he curled in closer. “It’s just-you’re one of the few people who don’t seem to judge me.”

“Levi, that hasn’t changed. I may not like what you do, but not for the reasons you think. Clearly, it’s hurting you, both mentally and physically. I could care less about the actual profession.” He pulled Levi up with him so he could turn down the blanket before he lied down again with Levi on his chest not really wanting to move yet himself.

“It doesn’t bother you?” Levi asked after a short while. Eren trailed his hand on Levi’s smooth back, randomly tracing circles that seemed to calm the younger man down.

“Have I ever acted that way before?” He felt Levi shake his head into his chest. “If I was bothered by it, I wouldn’t be here, now would I?” He stroked Levi’s hair. “I like you Levi. Probably more than I should. He placed his other arm over his eyes and took a deep breath. “I get it. I did a lot of stupid shit when I was younger too. I sold drugs and used to use them too. I fucked people just so they’d give me more drugs because that’s what took the edge off. That’s what made my life less shitty.” He looked down when he felt Levi’s eyes on him. “The reason Erwin and Hange ended up stepping in is because I tried to kill myself. Took a shit ton of pills out of my foster homes medicine cabinet. I don’t even know what the hell I took. Let me tell you, you never want to experience your stomach being pumped. I tried again when I aged out.” He held up one of his wrists so Levi could see. Levi traced the long line up his arm. “Did it right too. None of that across the wrist bullshit. Hange found me that time. How she did I still don’t know. I feel like she has a second sense for those kinds of things.” He rolled his eyes. “Sorry that went deeper than what I had wanted it to. What I was trying to say is I get why you do what you do. At least you’re doing it all for a reason. Not just being a worthless waste of space like I was.”

“I’m glad that you didn’t succeed.” Levi said lifting himself up, so he hovered over Eren again.

“Yeah. Me too.” Eren pulled Levi close and kissed him. It started off soft but became more passionate and they both pulled back panting. He flipped Levi onto his back causing the man to cry out. “Now, how bout I return the favor? He bit Levi’s collarbone and rubbed him through his pants like Levi had done to him. He felt Levi push back up to him and felt him start to get hard. “How long has it been since someone took care of you for a change?” Eren asked as he left a trail of bites and kisses down Levi’s chest. He flicked one of his nipples with his tongue seeing Levi arch up again and bite his lip. “Hmm don’t try to hold back on me. I’ll take it as a challenge.” He bit the other nipple while looking up and Levi groaned bucking into his hand.

“So sensitive. I’ll have to remember that.” He continued down languidly. His hands busied themselves with Levi’s pants as he licked in the crevices of each of Levi’s muscles. Levi was panting and pulling his hair and he hummed his approval.

He bit Levi’s hip bone and Levi moaned again. “Lift your hips up.” Eren said and Levi did as he was told. Eren pulled his pants and boxers down, but rather than pay attention to the impressive cock standing up for him he passed it over kissing Levi’s thigh and leaving a love bite high up the one. He loved the sounds Levi made and wanted to hear more. He continued to pull Levi’s pants down as he shifted back, running his tongue behind each of his knees causing Levi to jerk. Eren had held firmly onto each leg and he grinned up at Levi. “Ticklish huh? That’s another thing I’ll have to remember later.” He scraped his fingernails down Levi’s shins and pulled the pants off completely, along with his socks. He rubbed the insoles of Levi’s feet but saw the man’s face turn a little sour. “Don’t worry Mr. Clean. I’m not going to do anything else yet. I had a feeling you would be a little disgusted with the idea. I don’t find any part of you gross though. Not a single inch.” He massaged the other foot before he slowly began his ascent back up. He noticed Levi must shave as he went, encountering no hair as he kissed and touched all of Levi’s legs that by the time, he made his way up to his cock, Levi was already leaking precum.

“Eren- “

“Hmm? Is something the matter? Do you need something?” He spoke closely to his dick which twitched from the sensation of his breath.

“I need your hands, your mouth, something anything.” Levi pulled his hair hard and started directing him to his cock.

Eren licked off the precum from the head and licked every inch of Levi’s dick. He could see Levi’s eyes narrowed in frustration and decided to stop his little tease. He opened his mouth and sucked, moving his tongue as he pushed down. He held tightly onto Levi’s hips so he wouldn’t buck up, at least not until he was ready for it. He bobbed his head slowly, each time taking more of Levi’s dick down his throat. He wasn’t lying to Levi when he said it had been a long time for him, so while he enjoyed teasing Levi, he was also getting his mouth and throat used to the intruding object so he didn’t gag on him. He kept a tight seal on Levi’s dick with his lips and tested out how Levi felt about his teeth scraping the underside. Based on the sounds he made, he assumed he liked the small bit of pain and hummed his approval once again causing even more moans. He went at a slower pace than Levi had with him, taking the time to give Levi some attention since he assumed, he never really got it all that much. On his last bob, he got Levi completely inside his mouth to the hilt, and while he was waiting to adjust, he licked Levi’s balls.

“Shit.” He heard Levi curse as he licked and sucked his way up. He increased the pace now feeling Levi begin to tense underneath him. He felt Levi’s grip get harder on his hair and he moaned over Levi’s cock.

“Eren- “He drew out his name and Eren felt the spurt of warm liquid coat his throat. He scraped his teeth over the spasming dick again causing Levi to jerk more. Once he was sure Levi was sucked dry, he released his dick, giving it a quick kiss before swallowing. He started to move to get up when Levi’s arms wrapped around him again.

“Where the hell are you going?” Levi asked pulling him back down. He may be smaller, but he was pretty strong.

“I was going to get cleaned up. I figured I wouldn’t get a kiss again until I rinse my mouth out at least.”

“Hmph. Just shut up and get in bed bright eyes.”

“Bright eyes? That’s new.” He did as he was told, since it didn’t seem Levi was ready to let him go just yet.

“They’re practically glowing right now.”

“Hmm really? Maybe it’s like a wolf. Better to eat you with.” He bit the side of Levi’s chest making a growling sound which caused Levi to begin to laugh. He found he enjoyed the sound of Levi’s laughter and made a note to try to hear more of it. He flopped on his back next to Levi and as though to make some sort of point, Levi kissed him again before making himself comfortable next to him. Eren tossed the blankets over them both.

“Aren’t you glad I suggested the bigger bed now?” He waggled his eyebrows at Levi which caused him to chuckle again.

“Was this your intentions when we were looking?” Levi asked as he looked up.

“I hadn’t taken it out of the realm of possibility yet.” Eren said smiling. He continued his tracing of Levi’s back again feeling the man relax under his gentle touch. He looked out the window and saw the sun was rising higher. “I hope you hadn’t intended to be productive today.”

“Mmm, just once I think I’ll slack a bit.”

“Good.” Eren kissed his forehead. “Remind me to thank Hange again for her bright ideas.”

“Mmmhmm” Levi was no longer coherent, already a gentle quiet snore had started. It was not long before Eren joined him.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after and more interactions with Levi and the kids.

“I knew it!” Levi heard Hange’s voice next to his ear. He felt really hot. Did he have a fever? “I knew this would happen sooner or later.” Hange began to squeal and clap her hands. Levi tried to cover his ears and he heard a low groan underneath him. Opening his eyes, he saw a rather irritated looking Eren. His sleep and drink addled brain slowly caught up to speed and he remembered last night-or rather this morning-rather vividly.

“Hange will you quit squealing like a damn pig? I’m going to have to get up and kick your ass.” Eren’s voice was hoarse from sleep. He rubbed at his eyes lifting the one that had been on Levi’s back. Levi quickly realized it was Eren’s heat he was feeling.

“Eren and Levi sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G.” Hange cackled when Eren began to toss pillows at her.

“You are so damn lucky I don’t have anything harder to throw. Get the fuck out or else you’re going to see some things you’ll wish you could unsee. God damn, how the hell are you so chipper anyways? You drank way more than us.”

“I came prepared.” Hange shook a bottle and Levi finally turned away from the living furnace and sat up. “Wow, Levi I had no idea you were hiding all of that.” She gestured to his body and had a smile that really unnerved him, and it only got worse when she took a step closer. “Are those hickies? They are. Eren you naughty boy!” She jumped back in a fit of laughter when Eren tried to reach for her. “Haha! You almost got me that time!”

“That’s it. I’m calling Erwin. Levi get me my damn pants.”

“If you call Erwin, I won’t give you the magical hangover pills.” Hange said shaking the box. “You’ll need to decide which is more important, your splitting headache or your revenge.”

Levi leaned in close to Eren and whispered conspiratorially. “Could always take the medicine and call him later.”

“Hehe. You’re learning. Or we could just make her really uncomfortable that she leaves.”

“I have a feeling that idea may backfire on you.”

“Yeah she probably would enjoy the free show.” Eren lifted his head up and kissed Levi. He raised his voice. “Fine Hange, you win this round. I want the medicine and maybe an hour.”

“Ha like you’d last an hour. More like 10 minutes.” Hange laughed at the glare Eren gave her but she tossed the pill bottle at him. Levi was impressed Eren was able to catch it without even sitting up. He saw Hange’s eyes flutter to the scar on Eren’s wrist and she seemed sad for a moment before returning to her happy demeanor. “I’ll have drinks and food out here for both of you, but don’t think I won’t come back in after you if you don’t hurry.”

“Could always lock the door.” Levi said smiling.

“Nah. Hange knows how to pick locks.” Eren sat up and Levi snickered at his bed head. Pointing at it when Eren looked at him quizzically.

“Yeah? Yours isn’t much better.” Eren leaned forward so he whispered in Levi’s ear. “I can’t wait to see what it looks like when you’re properly fucked.”

Levi lied in shock as the shiver went down his spine. Eren took the chance to shift around him and Levi got a pleasant view of his backside as he lifted up his pants. He must have made a noise because Eren turned around grinning.

“Don’t worry you’ll see it again. As long as you want to anyways. If this was a one-night drunk thing I’d understand too. I won’t say I wouldn’t be disappointed though.”

“Uh. It wasn’t a one-night drunk thing. Not with a body like that. Shame I didn’t get to see much of it before.” Eren had what looked like one broken wing on his back. He saw another set of wings on his forearm, one was blue, another white. Pieces of a broken key were attached to a wing with a string. A single amber rose was on his shoulder with the name Carla written under it. Running up the side he had a phoenix. Levi reached out to touch it and was surprised to find some of the skin below was bumpy.

“Noticed that huh? They’re from my dad’s cigarettes. He used to put them out on me. I couldn’t stand looking at them anymore, so I thought a phoenix was fitting to cover them up. Rise from the ashes and all that.”

“Seems like you have a thing for wings.”

“I always felt caged growing up. Like I couldn’t ever be free. First dad, then the foster system. The broken wing on my back represents that. This one.” He pointed to the one on his forearm. Levi tried not to look too hard on the long scar on that arm too, he had seen the other one last night. “Hange made this one for me. We named it the wings of freedom. The broken key represents breaking away from my dad.”

“And Carla?”

Eren reached back and touched the yellow rose reverently. “My mom. She died when I was young. It’s when dad went off the deep end. Drunk driver hit her. I picked a color closest to her eyes even though I need to get it touched up more often.” He stepped away from Levi and started looking for his shirt. “There I go getting all deep again.”

“I like that you share things with me. Seems fair since you’ve seen parts of my fucked-up life.” Eren halted for a moment before continuing the search. He found his shirt near Levi’s, tossing Levi’s at him while he put his own on. “Are the scars why I’ve always seen you in long sleeves?”

“Yeah. When I’m working or I’m going to be around certain people I make sure they’re hidden. Hange gets weird when she sees them. One time she broke down in tears and made me swear I would never try again. I’m not bothered by them really, but I try to respect other people’s feelings about them.” He smiled down at Levi. “And as much as I’m enjoying the view, you may want to get dressed soon. Hange likely wasn’t kidding about coming back. He picked up the pill bottle Hange had thrown at them.

Levi stood up and rather than getting in the clothes from yesterday, found a set of clean ones in the bag Hange had brought from the hotel. He looked back after dressing to see Eren grinning at him.

“Like what you see?” Levi asked

“I do. I liked it better with less on though.”

“Hmm, likewise.” They both joined Hange downstairs in the kitchen. Apparently, her idea of making breakfast was to put cereal on the table.

“About time sleepyheads. I was getting ready to come back up.” She slid two glasses of water down to them. Eren popped two pills out of the bottle for himself and put two in Levi’s hand before tossing the bottle back at Hange. Eren took big gulps of the water, not putting it down until it was empty.

“Please tell me there’s coffee somewhere too?”

“I only saw tea.”

“Then we’re going out for breakfast. I need coffee. Some crazy banshee woke me up.” Eren checked his phone. “Fuck Hange, it’s only 9 am. You do realize how late we all were up last night right?”

“Oh, you’ll be fine. You’re young.” She patted Eren on the shoulder and he swatted her away.

“You seem really cranky for someone who got laid. Wait, who are you calling?”

“Erwin. He can help deal with your ass today.” He held his phone up when Hange lunged for it, putting it on speaker.

“You stupid giant! We had a deal”

_Eren?_

“Good morning eyebrows. How would you like to come out with us for breakfast this morning?”

 _Us?_ Levi recognized Erwin’s deep voice _. Who’s us exactly?_

“Oh, you know, just a certain brunette who’s still pining over you.” Hange growled and jumped for the phone. “Levi’s coming too. We uh, may have celebrated a little too hard over the new place.”

 _Hmm. I’m sure the_ celebrating _was Hange’s doing? Unless you mean-_

“I’m clean dad.” Eren teased. “Haven’t touched anything in years. Don’t intend to.”

_Good. Where did you have in mind?_

“You want to meet at Sina’s? They have the best coffee and I require lots of it.”

Levi heard Erwin laugh. _Alright, if I get there before you, I’ll order you some._

“Thanks. See you soon.” He grinned maniacally at Hange. “Two can play this game. Get your keys you’re driving.”

“Thankless punk.” Hange grumbled as she put on her shoes. Levi followed them, although he was unsure how much Erwin would want to see him around.

“Come on Levi.” We’ll make sure the apartment is spotless again when we get back.”

Eren sat in the front with Hange on the way there. He had his head back and appeared to be trying to sleep again. He had put on a pair of Hange’s sunglasses. Hange continued to talk to both of them as though Eren was awake though which caused the two to argue more. Hange pulled into the restaurant and the three walked together inside. Eren’s face lit up when he saw Erwin sitting at a booth. Giving a wave he rushed forward.

“You my friend, are a godsend. I temporarily take back anything mean I’ve ever said to you or about you.” Eren said sliding into the booth. He refused to budge when Hange tried to sit next to him and the two had a staring contest.

“Only temporarily? Hange sit down, people are beginning to stare.” Erwin admonished. Eren snickered into his coffee and shifted over so Levi could sit next to him. “Good morning Levi. Hope these two haven’t been giving you too much trouble.”

“No sir.” He ignored Hange’s waggling eyebrows from across from him. “They’ve been very helpful actually.”

“I’m glad. You and Eren have quite a bit in common.” Hange was holding back laughter and Eren shot her death glares from across the table. “He may be able to help you in ways we can’t.” Hange was visibly shaking now, her eyes watering from holding back her laughter. “What’s wrong with you two?”

“Hange needs new meds.” Eren grumbled taking a huge sip of his coffee and finishing it with a frown.

“Oh, nothing at all sweetie. Eren and Levi have just gotten _very_ close from the looks of it.”

“Will you please take care of her? I really am itching to get into another fight again. I normally wouldn’t hit a girl, but I might make an exception.”

“Have they been like this all the time?” Erwin asked Levi ignoring the two bickering.

“Since this morning anyways.” Levi shrugged. “I’ve gotten used to it.”

“Good morning everyone. What drinks can I get started for you?”

“I need a refill please.”

“I’ll have a latte, and can you add an extra expresso shot in there for me?” Hange ignored the looks from all three men at her table.

“I’ll have a tea.”

“Do you need a refill also sir?”

“Not yet, thank you.”

“Alright. I’ll bring those right out.”

Levi grabbed a menu and looked through it. He hadn’t been to this place before, but the pictures looked good.

“Levi, I heard the visit went well yesterday. Was that what the celebration was for?”

“They surprised me with that, but yeah. Ms. Ral seemed pleased with what she saw. There’s still a few things I want to get but she said they would likely let me have the kids back soon.”

“That’s good news. Eren how about you? How is the real estate business?”

Eren put down his menu. “Pretty good. I have 2 houses that are almost sold. The one they’re waiting to hear back a response from the counteroffer. The other is just waiting for the inspection results. I also just listed the diner Levi works at, so that will be my first business for sale. I already have a couple people who want to look at it, and I set up an open house the weekend after he closes it if no one is interested in it before then.”

The waitress came back with their drinks and took their food orders. Hange relayed how the hotel was doing and Eren asked how Erwin was enjoying the Principal life. Their food came and talk became less frequent as they ate. Levi heard an odd ringtone and felt a vibrating in his pocket causing him to jolt. Eren looked over at him in confusion.

“Uh sorry, still not used to this.” Levi pulled out his phone. Few people had his number, and a good portion of them were sitting in this booth. He saw Petra’s name and quickly answered it. “Hello.”

_Good morning. I have some good news for you Levi. The kids are being released back into your custody._

“What? Really? So soon? That’s wonderful! When can I get them? Do you need me to meet you somewhere?”

_Levi, I understand you’re excited, but calm down please. I’ll be bringing the children over to the house later. Will you be home, or do you need to work?”_

“No, I’m off now. I wouldn’t miss them coming home for anything.”

_Alright. I’ll bring them over around 3. Does this work for you?_

“3 o’clock. Sounds wonderful I’ll be there.”

_I want to remind you this is considered to be temporary._

“I understand. You can take them back again if you find anything. I won’t let that happen so that’s fine. I’ll see you at 3.”

He grinned widely when he hung up the phone. Eren and the others were smiling as well.

“Ooh yay! I get to see the sweeties again.” Hange smiled

“Oh my God, I need to get home. I need to clean again. I need to make sure I don’t need anything else.”

Eren put a calming hand on his shoulder. “It’s alright. Finish eating. We’ll go back and clean just like we were going to, and if you need to go shopping again, we can go, or you can give one of us the list and we’ll go.”

“You can even wait to shop when you have the kids. Then you can get them the things that they want.” Hange offered.

Levi relaxed a little. They were right. It was only 10:30 now. He would have enough time. Maybe he would leave up the decorations. Make it like a welcome home party for them. There were enough leftovers from last night he could pull them out too, and he made sure he had plenty of food. He could make something else if he needed to.

When they finished eating, they paid their checks and bid Erwin farewell. Levi’s mind was still on the things he needed or wanted for the kids. He sent a message to the brothel owner letting her know he wouldn’t be in tonight. Since they didn’t technically have hours, it didn’t really matter. It just meant he lost out on money. They cleaned up the house together and Hange bid them farewell. While Hange wanted to see them, she wanted to give Levi some time alone with them. She told him if he or the kids needed anything to text or call. Eren left shortly after Hange. As the time neared 3, Levi began to pace. He heard a knock a little before the time and opened the door to see Petra.

“I hope it’s alright we’re here a little early. They were all ready to go as soon as I told them though.”

“Of course.”

Petra waved to the kids in her car, and Sasha and Connie came flying out rushing to his side. Jean was a little more reserved and had taken Mikasa out of a booster seat holding onto her while he popped the trunk to grab some of the bags.

“Levi!” Sasha and Connie said together. Sasha was asking questions a mile a minute, Levi had a hard time keeping up. He let them pass so they could look at the new place. Jean handed over Mikasa to him. She gripped onto him tightly and he ran his hand through her hair.

“Well it’s nicer than I expected.” Jean admitted as he walked in with Levi. Petra said she was going to stay for a while and observe. She went and grabbed the rest of the bags from the car while Levi showed the kids around. He could hear Sasha and Connie yelling to each other upstairs.

“Levi, how much work you have to do to afford this place? And where’d all the stuff come from?” Jean whispered next to him.

“Most of it is used, and some stuff Hange and her friend Eren bought as a housewarming gift. And you don’t need to worry about how I’m paying for it. I’ve got it handled.” Sasha came running down the stairs and opened the fridge door squealing.

“Levi? I can have some right?” Sasha asked pointing to the food.

“Just grab a snack for now Sasha. I’ll be getting dinner ready soon.” He looked up at Jean confused. “Why she ask that?”

“The foster family put a lock on the fridge and cupboards because of her. She had to ask permission to get anything.”

Levi scowled. Sasha ate a lot sure, but it was because she had so much energy. He felt bad she’d been restricted while she was away. He found it ironic since that was one of the reasons they had used to take her away in the first place. He put Mikasa down so she could explore too, but she stayed close to him, a hand always touching him as though if she let go, he’d be gone again.

“Petra will you be staying for dinner? I have plenty to eat.”

“Oh no but thank you. I just wanted to make sure they acclimated well. I’ll be leaving shortly.” She looked up at the decorations and smiled. “I didn’t really picture you one to be the decorations type.”

“Yeah, those are from my friends. They surprised me yesterday with a small party.”

“Since when do you have friends?” Jean joked and Levi elbowed him in the ribs. “Did you become social while we were gone?”

“It’s only Hange and Eren. He helped me find this place.” Jean looked doubtful but didn’t say anything else. Levi made sure not to show any particular emotions when it came to Eren just yet, especially around Petra.

Petra said goodbye to all the children and told Levi she would be in touch. He handed Jean plates. “Go set the table.”

“Well aren’t we all fancy now? Get a place and we have a table to eat at with dishes? Moving up in the world. Seriously Levi, I’m worried about how you did all this.” He looked Levi up and down, seeming to be searching for new wounds.

“I’ve been saving for a while, and Reeves gave me a bonus since he’s closing the diner. I picked things that were cheaper too. So, don’t be surprised if the table falls apart on us.”

Levi heated up leftovers from the party last night and made a large batch of mac and cheese. Mikasa still continued to stay near him and he’d put a hand on her head soothingly. Jean had continued to look around. Sasha and Connie had gone to look at the back yard he could hear them laughing as he cooked, and it was music to his ears. Jean helped him bring the food to the table and went to collect the others when everything was done. Mikasa climbed onto the chair and Levi filled her plate with foods she would eat.

“Dig in everyone.” Sasha wasted no time filling her plate with whatever she could grab first. Levi heard her humming and she did a small dance while she ate.

“Levi, while we’re all happy to be here and all, we want to talk to you.” Levi looked up from his food to see Jean’s serious face. Connie was looking at him too, and even Sasha had stopped eating.

Levi put down his silverware and sat back. “Alright what’s up?”

“We don’t like that you keep getting hurt.”

“We want you to actually be able to be around.”

“Your job isn’t the safest. Clearly, they don’t seem to give a shit about you. You’re still sporting marks albeit they’re looking better.” Jean leaned forward. “And that’s what we can see right? What about what we can’t see?”

Levi folded his hands in front of him. Mikasa may not necessarily understand everything that was going on, but she was looking up at him as though he would vanish in a minute. “Alright, let’s say I’ll hear you out. Do you have another proposal? To lose that job, I’d have to pick up at least 2 others and then I’d never be here for any of you anyways.”

“I can get a job.” Jean held up his hand before Levi shot him down. “Listen I’m not talking anything crazy, just working opposite you so one of us can still be here. We may be sleeping, but we’d be here for anything serious that may happen.”

“Sasha and I can take care of ourselves and we’ll start helping more with Mikasa.”

“Look, you’re all back here right now, but it’s still temporary. They can come and take you away at any moment. There’s conditions to this.” Levi held up his finger. “1. I need to be able to afford this place and everything for you. 2. You need to be supervised by an adult at night and 3. You all need to do well in school. Right now, I can’t meet all those conditions if I leave my job, but I do plan to try cutting back. It’s the best I can do for now.”

“Will you at least let me try to help?” Jean pleaded. “We’ll try it for a couple weeks, if we can’t make it work, I’ll stop.”

Levi sat back again. “If you feel that strongly about it I won’t stop you but-“He stopped Jean from interrupting him. “I have some conditions for you too.”

“I’m listening.”

“At least half of your pay is yours and yours only. Eventually you’ll want to leave, or hopefully want to go to college. I want you to have all of the opportunities you can. Not to mention you’re getting older which means you’ll want to spend money on yourself once in a while. So, the money you earn is yours.”

“Well that’s not the point- “

“I understand you want to help, but at the end of the day, none of us are your responsibility. You can help with no more than half your pay.”

“Fine but then you can’t spend extra money on me, like for clothes or school supplies. I can use my money for those things.”

“Fair enough.” Levi conceded that point. “If your grades begin to slip, you’re done. No arguments.”

“Since that’s one of the conditions to keep all of us then that’s fine.”

“And whatever you do needs to be over the table.”

“Yep. Got it.”

“Fine. We can try it. How about not right away though? Give it a couple weeks.”

“Can I start looking but tell them I can start after the 2 weeks?”

“Yes, that will work.”

“And you’ll cut back? Try to stop completely if you can?”

“Yes. That’s a part of this deal isn’t it?”

Jean sat back in his chair in relief. “Good, because I’ve gotta tell you, if something does happen to you, I can’t do what you do.”

After dinner, all the kids helped him clean up. Even Mikasa was trying to do something. Jean washed the dishes and Connie was drying them. Sasha packed up all the remaining food to put back in the fridge, although Levi caught her talking to one of the containers saying she’d be back for it later. She and Mikasa also wiped off the table. Levi pointed out things in the house they may have missed, like the washer and dryer. He told them all not to try to use it until he showed them how or he was around. He didn’t want the place to be flooded with bubbles. He had needed Hange to show him how to use it before she got drunk last night.

He showed them where all their stuff was. Sasha and Connie were upset they weren’t in the same room again and Sasha was currently trying to bribe Jean in switching with her.

“No way Sasha. I don’t even think I’d fit in that bed.” Levi could still hear them arguing about it as he readied Mikasa’s bath.

“Mika honey, you alright? You’ve been really quiet.” Levi said as he sat on the floor watching the water fill up.

“We’re all not in the same room again.”

“No, but we’re all on the same floor. Nice and close, and you have Sasha in your room.”

Mikasa shook her head. “Sasha doesn’t want to be with me anymore. She doesn’t like the nightmares.”

“Well no one likes the nightmares sweetie, but only because they hurt you. No one is mad you have them. Not in this house anyways. We all know you can’t control them.” He pulled up her shirt and she shimmied out of her pants and climbed over the tub’s edge. Levi put some of the bubbles on the top of her head and she smiled, but Levi could tell she was still troubled.

“Will they make me live with Uncle instead of you? I heard one of them talking about it.”

“Absolutely not. I won’t allow it. I don’t care if we have to pick up and leave. He won’t lay a finger on you.” He gripped the shampoo too hard causing more to end up on his hand than he had wanted. He put down the bottle and shifted the amount he had wanted into his other hand rinsing the original off before starting to scrub her hair.

“Okay.” She said nodding to herself. He couldn’t get much else out of her after that.

“I’ll try to find someone who can help with the nightmares again.” Levi told her handing her a washcloth so she could clean up while he rinsed out her hair. She nodded at him again. Levi was worried he was starting to brush off on her. Or maybe it was just an Ackerman trait. His mother was always like that too from what little he could recall, and Kenny’s only emotion was anger.

Levi emptied the water after Mikasa was all clean she stood up as the tub emptied and he wrapped her in one of the new towels.

“Ooh fuzzy.” Mikasa said nuzzling the towel

“Yeah? They’re nice huh?” Mikasa nodded up at him and gave him a small smile. He helped wipe her off and get her nightgown on. He cleaned up the tub, and she waited with him until he was done, holding his hand when they left.

“Bathrooms ready for one of you.” Levi said as he went in the hall. The three other children were laying on the floor in the boy’s room. They were in the middle of a card game when Levi walked in. “What are you playing?”

“War.” Sasha said looking up. “We’re playing for beds. Whoever wins gets to choose what bed they have, and the other’s beds.”

“Oh really?” Levi asked as he lied down next to them.

“It’s only for tonight.” Jean said, “We know when they start doing inspections we have to be in different rooms.”

“I can’t wait to see Jean try to sleep on that top bunk.” Connie laughed causing the older teen to smack him in the head. “Ow! That was rude!”

“I should have never agreed to this. I should have known they would gang up on me.” Jean muttered and Levi smirked. He watched as the cards were dispersed between the players. Each seemed to have an even number of cards right now. The kids were getting into it. Sasha would throw down her card with force, smiling triumphantly when her hand won, but crying out when she lost. There were several 3-way ties that resulted in a tie breaker match. Jean had managed to win 2 of those in a row, making his deck the larger of the piles. Connie was the first out and he cried out in defeat. Levi doubted he really cared about the sleeping situation but was more upset he’d lost the game. Levi sent him to the bathroom to get ready and he could hear Connie yelling about the towels too. Clearly the towels were a big hit. Who knew? He’d have to thank Hange since she had bought the larger ones for him. He stood up and grabbed some pajama bottoms and a t-shirt for Connie since he didn’t think to grab them himself. He knocked on the door to the bathroom. “Connie there’s clothes out here for you when you’re done.”

“Oh great. Thanks Levi! Hey, this shower feels awesome! It’s better than the hotel!”

“Well just be sure to hurry up. The others still need to get theirs and I don’t want one of you to run out of hot water.” He heard Connie snickering. “And don’t try to use it all yourself so the others have to take a cold shower.” He heard Connie swear when he realized he got caught. He rejoined the others. Mikasa was starting to fall asleep so he picked her up and took her to the girl’s room. He pulled back her covers and lied her gently on the bed, tucking her in tightly. She opened her eyes to look at him for a moment, but then closed them again. He sat next to her bed for a while until he was certain she was asleep.

“No! You cheated!” Levi heard Sasha complaining through the wall and rejoined the others.

“Says the player who tried to gang up on me!”

“Oi! Keep it down!” Levi shut down their bickering as Connie came in the room. “One of you go get your shower. Jean pick your bed.”

“Didn’t take him long to go into dad mode again huh?” Connie laughed as he sat on his bed, assuming Jean would keep the arrangements Levi had picked for them. Sasha hurried into her room, grabbing her pajamas before going into the bathroom.

“Levi, can I have a snack after my shower?” she yelled into the hallway.

“Yes, you can have a snack after your shower.” He called back. Jean had pulled out his phone and was looking at it. “Oh, good Petra got it to you.”

“Yeah. Thanks, by the way.”

Levi shrugged. “It wasn’t much more, and I thought it would be easier than us trying to share one.”

“Well, I’ll still pay for mine when I start working. I already found a couple places to apply.” Jean turned the phone so Levi could see. “One’s a coffee shop not far from here so I can still walk.”

“We went there this morning.” Jean’s eyebrow quirked up.

“Oh, and who was we huh?”

“Stop it. Hange and Eren threw me a party. We all drank too much, and they ended up staying. We went to breakfast in the morning. The principal, Erwin, joined us.”

“Why did Principal Smith go with you to breakfast?” Connie asked as he shuffled in his bed.

“He dated Hange I guess. Although, from what I saw that won’t be past tense much longer.”

“And this Eren?” Jean smiled at him “When you say his name or hear it your mouth quirks up a bit.” Jean poked at Levi’s face and Levi swatted him away.

“He’s a friend. That’s all.”

“Hmm. If you say so. You seem happier though.” Jean got up and looked through the drawer on his side picking out his clothes.

“Well of course I’m happy. I got you all back didn’t I?”

“Yeah but it seems like something else.” Jean looked down at Levi as he passed. “Wait, what the hell happened to your head?”

Levi ran a hand through his hair. “There was an-incident-the other day while I was shopping.”

“For fucks sake. It’s not even just at work now? What the hell happened at the store? And don’t bother trying to keep the g rated story. Connie’s caught on.”

Levi let out a long sigh. He explained to both of them what happened and how Eren had stepped in before it got worse.

“This. This is what I’m talking about.” Jean groused. “The same guy assaulted you 3 times, and that was in the same month.”

“He was arrested after, although the charges didn’t stick. They tried to get him on possession.”

“And not the assault?” One look from Levi told him the answer. “The whole system is fucked up. Cops, child services, schools. They all suck. Well, hopefully it’s the last we hear about him.”

“I hope so too.” Levi admitted. He lied back on the floor. “It’s been a long time since I felt like that.” He shivered lightly thinking about that day. “I’d prefer it not to ever happen again.”

“You should get a taser. Or mace.” Connie said. “Ooh, you’d look cool with a sword.”

“Well that escalated quickly.” Jean said. “What the hell is he going to do with a sword?”

“I don’t know. Be a short badass maybe.”

“I think carrying around a sword would be a little awkward” Levi said crossing his arms behind his head. “Mace may not be a bad option though.” I should get you 3 older kids some too.”

“There you go, not worrying about yourself again.” Jean sighed as he walked out. “Crazy midget.”

“Knives would be cool too.” Connie said getting comfortable in bed.

“Still impractical a bit. I’m going to go check on the girls. Night Connie.”

“Yeah, night”

Levi walked in to the girl’s room. Mikasa was still asleep and Sasha was eating a chicken leg in the top bunk.

“Sasha. Don’t eat in the bed.”

“Aww. I’m almost done and I’m comfortable.”

“What were you going to do with the bones Sash?”

“Leave the plate here until morning.”

“Ugh. That’s gross on so many levels. You need to actually chew your food too.” He chided when Sasha ripped the rest of the meat off the leg and swallowed it whole. “Here give me the plate.” He pulled wipes out of his pocket and handed her one. “Wipe your hands and face.”

“Yes daddy Levi” Sasha said smiling. He climbed up two of the rungs so he could collect the plate and Sasha pecked him on the cheek. “I’m glad to be home.”

“I’m glad you’re home too Sasha. Crazy eating habits and all.” He returned the kiss on her cheek and climbed down. “Get some sleep.”

“Alright. Night Levi.”

Levi passed Jean on his way to his room. “Night Jean.”

“Good night.”

Levi took Sasha’s plate down and quickly washed it before grabbing clothes and going to the bathroom himself. He wasn’t surprised when he was taking the shower the hot water ran out. He was impressed it had lasted long enough to get to him. He showered quickly and dried off and changed, picking up his dirty clothes before he left. He looked at his phone as he walked back to his room. Eren and Hange had both text him asking how the kids like the place. He let them know the kids seemed happy with the new place and joked about the bed war. Eren surmised pillow fights may be the next battle.

As Levi got comfortable in bed, he saw his bedroom door crack open and Mikasa was padding over to him.

“Levi, can I sleep with you?” She asked holding a stuffed animal in her arms.

“Sure Mika. Come on up.” Mika smiled widely and climbed in next to him and curled up to him. Levi shifted around her. He saw the door open wider and Sasha had walked in with a pillow.

“It was dark and lonely in my room.” She admitted. “Can I sleep here? I’ll lay on the floor.”

“Come on. There’s room on the bed.” Her eyes lit up and she jumped over Levi and Mikasa to curl on his other side.

Levi’s eyes had begun to close when he heard a light tap. He opened one eye to look over at Connie.

“Ah yeah. Sorry. I’m just not used to a quiet room yet.” Connie said as he clutched his blanket and pillow and rubbed the back of his neck.

“You can sleep by me Connie.” Sasha said sleepily patting the spot next to the wall. Connie crawled up from the foot of the bed and got comfortable between the wall and Sasha in front of him.

“So this is where you went.” Jean said with a pillow at his side he shut the door. Levi held up the covers for him.

“Tch. I’m not lonely or anything.” Jean muttered

“Of course not.” Levi said Jean crawled in on the other side of Mikasa.

“Welcome home.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A shopping trip with the kids. Eren gets to meet everyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ended up breaking this chapter up because it was getting really long, so hopefully I'll have the second part up soon. Thanks again for the comments and the kudos. I hope you enjoy.

The next few weeks were hectic for Levi. He worked at the diner the remaining days it was open while the kids were at school. Days he was off there, he was at the hotel. Hange had paired him up with what he considered a female version of himself. Her name was Rico and she was straightforward and to the point. Levi liked working with her. After a few days and Rico was satisfied he would clean the rooms efficiently-he had scoffed at the idea-they had split up the work. Levi would take the left wing and Rico would take the right. If one finished first, they would help the other and they did this for both floors. Levi soon realized why Hange never seemed fazed by most things. He found needles, condoms, drugs, and all sorts of things when he walked in to clean the rooms. He soon realized people were filthier than he had ever imagined after just a few shifts and his OCD became even worse at home. He also questioned ever staying at a hotel again.

When he wasn’t working the jobs, he was with the kids. Helping them with homework, cleaning the house, and often watching them as they played. The kids loved the yard, especially after the landlady had shown up with a small swing set. She said one of her tenants had left it behind before and she had no use for it. Levi had offered to pay her for it, but she waved her hand saying it was in her way where it was anyways.

Levi had done as Eren suggested and had gone over to introduce himself to the neighbors. They were a young couple named Isabel and Farlan and they had moved in a few months before he did. Both of them were delighted when they met the children for the first time and waved away Levi’s concerns about the noise. They had been surprised when they realized it was just him taking care of them and offered to help with them if he ever needed it. Levi had talked to them a few times since then, usually when he was coming or going. Isabel had started the habit of calling him big brother although he was almost certain she was older than him if not the same age. Farlan was also nice to. He had come over to help when he heard Levi swearing at the old grill that was in the back yard. He showed Levi the trick to lighting it saying theirs gave him a hard time when they moved in too. He hadn’t seen Eren since the night of their little party, but they often text one another. Eren was understanding that Levi was busy with the kids right now, and he had listed a couple more houses and showing more homes so he was busy too.

Jean had got the job as Sina’s as a busboy and host since he had no cooking skills like Levi. He had tried to learn from Levi several times, but ended up just burning everything. He was used to cleaning though after being around Levi for so long, so he didn’t mind the busboy position. He would learn more jobs as he worked. He was supposed to start this week and he and Levi had sat down to plan their schedules so someone would be with the younger kids. While Jean was training, he had more days, but he had said he wouldn’t be able to work that much while he was in school normally which they seemed fine with. He had 3 shorter shifts on school days and he was working long morning shifts on the weekend.

Child services had come for their first inspection the night before, and Petra remained impressed with everything. Her only suggestion had been to get them more clothes. Jean needed a new outfit for work, so once everyone woke up, he was going to take them to the thrift store to pick out a few outfits especially with the cold weather arriving soon. Levi was exhausted and was dragging his feet today. He hadn’t slept for the last couple days because of Mika’s nightmares and working so much. Jean had offered to take them alone so Levi could stay home and sleep but Levi waved him off. Knowing Sasha and Connie could be too much while anywhere together.

Levi got everyone up and dressed, making a light breakfast before they left. He was on his third cup of tea hoping it would wake him up more. Levi had Mika on his back giving her a piggyback ride and Sasha and Connie were each gripping onto his hands. Isabel was outside working on the garden in the front and waved at them as they left. They made it to their destination, and he warned Sasha and Connie to behave in the store. Mikasa stayed near him as he looked for clothes that would fit her. She was in a growth spurt so a lot of what he had for her was getting to be too small, so he needed to get her the most. Deciding to get a few outfits that would fit her now and a few a size or two too big for when she got bigger. Jean had found what he would need for work as well as a couple causal outfits for school and was helping Connie and Sasha. Once all of them had a few outfits Levi sent them all to the dressing rooms to try things on. Sasha took Mikasa with her so she could help.

“Hey there stranger.” Levi turned to see Eren standing in a suit next to him. Levi couldn’t help but let his eyes roam over Eren. Suits looked good on the brunette. Eren gave him a smirk when he noticed Levi checking him out. “What brings you here?”

“The kids are getting new outfits.” Levi said forcing himself to look away. He gestured to the dressing rooms for emphasis. “What about you?”

“I get a lot of my suits here for work. They’re expensive new, and I just can’t bring myself to pay full price when there’s nothing wrong with these.” He smiled again. “Poor kid habits die hard.”

“Do you always wear suits? You had to show houses before and were never dressed in them.”

“When I’m taking people to look at houses I usually don’t, but if I’m having an open house I’ll dress up more. I just got done with one.”

“Any luck?”

“A couple people were interested, but no one has put bids on it yet.”

“Levi, can you try and find me a bigger top?” Jean asked holding a hand out of his dresser room with a dress shirt. “It’s too tight.”

“I’ll look.” Sasha, Connie, stay here for a sec. I’ll be right back.” Levi made his way over to the rack Jean had been at and looked at what there was. He frowned when he didn’t see another white one.

“What’s the button up for?” Eren asked as he searched another rack.

“Jean’s starting work at Sina’s this week.”

“Ah. Guess they don’t provide the outfits then. Hmm. I may have some older tops that would fit I can bring over. For now though, there’s another shop in the mall that would have what he needs. They’re reasonable prices. I shop there when I can’t find what I want here.”

“Do you know of a place for shoes? They all need warmer shoes and could use a new pair in general. Jean will also need nicer shoes for work.”

“Yeah there’s a shoe store in the mall too. I can take you all there if you want. I’m not doing anything else today. I can show you where they are as well as a couple other shops that have reasonable priced clothes.”

“I don’t really want to impose.”

“You’re not imposing when I’m offering.” Eren put his hand on Levi’s shoulder. “You’d think by now you’d learn to take some help when someone offers.”

“Jean there isn’t anything in your size.” Levi told him as he came back to the dressing room. “Eren said he knows of a shop that would have them though.”

Jean poked his head out again and eyed up Eren who waved at him. His eyes widened. “Oh so _you’re_ Eren? You’re younger than I thought. Figured you were Hange’s age.” He looked over at Levi “Friend my ass.” He said before shutting the door again. Eren chuckled but didn’t correct him.

Levi tapped on Sasha’s and Mika’s door. “How you doing girls?”

“Ok. We’re finishing up.”

“Anything don’t fit you want me to take?”

Sasha held out a hand with several dresses in them. “I don’t want these. I don’t like them.”

“Ok. I’ll put them away for you. Mika’s clothes ok? Some of them will be bigger.” He heard Connie talking to Mikasa inside and held her hand out again. “She didn’t like this one, but the rest is fine.”

Connie opened the door and walked out of his dressing room. He looked frustrated. “The jeans are too long.”

“Ah. I know the feeling Connie.” Levi said as he knelt down, careful not to touch the ground completely. He tucked the extra length up. “They’re not too bad and you may grow some more soon.” He sat back on his haunches. “I can put in a temporary hem, that way if you do grow we can just take em back out.”

“Ok. I’ll get changed then.”

Jean came out with his clothes and Levi took the things that didn’t fit, carefully folding them to how they were or hanging them up before returning them. The lady at the front desk smiled gratefully when he did. By the time he came back, all three children were out of the dressing rooms and Sasha was currently interrogating Eren. He was hunched down so he could look her in the eyes and nodding as she asked her questions. She stopped as Levi came up.

“So, how’d we do?” Levi asked as he took the piles of the yes items from the kids. “You find enough or you need more?” The kids said they had what they needed here so he walked up to the front with Mika grabbing onto his shirt. He put everything on the counter while the lady rang them up.

“Your siblings are so well behaved.” The lady said as she rang them up. “And thank you for putting everything away so nicely. You have no idea how much time I spend refacing at the end of the day.”

“Oh it’s no problem.” Levi didn’t bother correcting her about the siblings. It was easier than trying to explain their situation anyways. “Common sense says put it away how you found it.”

“You’d be surprised.” She said smiling. She handed Levi the bags which Jean reached out to take so Levi could pay. Jean leaned down to Levi after he gave her the cash.

“You sure you have enough for this? We wouldn’t have been able to do this before and we had less to worry about.”

“Petra said to get you all clothes Jean. So here we are. Don’t worry. I’ll just pick up an extra day this week.” Jean frowned and stepped back

“So much for cutting back.” He grumbled.

Eren paid for his things while Levi and the others waited outside. He told the kids they were going to the mall with Eren and they got excited. Levi couldn’t recall the last time any of them had gone to the mall.

“There’s this really neat play area in the middle of the mall too we can check out.” Eren rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as he joined them. “I’m kind of jealous I can’t go in it.”

“Levi probably could. He would meet the height restrictions.” Jean laughed while Levi rolled his eyes.

“Ooh. Can we check it out Levi? Please?” Sasha asked. Levi smiled and nodded.

“We’ll go when we’re done shopping.” Sasha and Connie high fived one another as Eren led the way to his car. They put everything in the trunk and climbed in. Levi let Jean sit in the front since he was taller. Sasha sat in the middle seat and Levi held Mikasa in his lap. He ordered the kids to put their seatbelts on and put his around himself and Mika.

“Everyone good?”

“Let’s go.” Sasha said pointing forward. Levi saw Eren smile in the rearview mirror as he backed up and drove to the mall. Even though the ride was short, Levi found himself falling asleep on the way there.

“Just poke him to wake him up Sasha.” He heard distantly and realized the car had stopped. He looked around to see Jean already standing outside and Eren looking back with concern. Sasha and Connie were still sitting next to him. Mikasa seemed to also be half asleep in his lap. He dragged a hand through his hair and unbuckled his seatbelt. “Ready to go?” He asked and Connie and Sasha unbuckled too. They both nodded and hurried out of the car.

Jean opened his door and held out his hands. “Here. Let me take Mika. She looks just as tired as you.” Mikasa wrapped her arms around Jean as he lifted her up, laying her head next to his shoulder. “You good Mika?” Jean asked and she nodded sleepily releasing a long yawn.

Eren opened his trunk and took off his jacket and tie. He unbuttoned the collar and the first two buttons. “Are we all set?” He asked as he closed the trunk again.

Connie and Sasha each took one of Levi’s hands as they crossed the parking lot to the mall entrance. Eren led the way to the shoe store first. Levi sent the kids off to look for shoes they liked. Jean said he’d help Mikasa while he looked as long as he took care of Sasha and Connie. Eren took a seat on one of the benches so he could help keep an eye on everyone but not get in the way.

Levi left Connie on his own first and helped Sasha find a pair of tennis shoes she liked. He looked at the price and frowned. “Sasha, can we try to find another one?” He asked she looked up at him and nodded. He found one similar to the one she picked further down. “How about this one?”

“Levi, my shoes are fine if we don’t have the money.” Sasha whispered looking around to make sure no one was near them.

“Shh. We’re here to get you things you need so don’t worry about it. That’s my problem not yours.” She nodded at him and he gave her a smile. “So, your shoes right now. Do they fit or are they too tight?”

“They’re getting a little tight.” Sasha admitted and Levi nodded. He had her take off her shoe so he could see the size then picked one off the shelf that was a size up from it. He held her steady as she put it on.

“Does that feel better?” He asked and Sasha nodded. “They too loose?”

“No, these feel nice.”

“Walk around in them for a minute. Make sure they still feel alright.” He looked down the line and found where the boots were. He pointed them out to Sasha. “Which one of these you like?”

“Can I get the brown ones?” Sasha asked pointing to a pair nearest him. He checked the price and nodded at her. He handed her the same size she had tried on.

“Take that shoe off and try this one.” Levi knelt so she could use him to steady herself again and slipped on the boot. Levi tied them through the eyelets for her while she held onto his shoulder. She walked down the row with it on and came back nodding. She took it off and Levi put it in the box while she put her shoes on.

“Why don’t you take your boxes and go sit with Eren while I help Connie ok?” Sasha nodded and skipped to Eren’s side.

“How you doing Connie?” Levi asked as he was putting on a pair of tennis shoes.

“Good. Do you like these ones?” Connie showed him what he had on.

“They look fine. Are they comfortable?” Connie got up and hopped up and down and took a short walk down the aisle. Once Connie approved he sent him to look at boots too. Connie found a set he liked and tried them on as well. Levi sent him up to join Sasha while he searched for Jean. He found him kneeling in front of a bench in front of Mikasa. Her eyes were focused and she had her tongue between her teeth as she concentrated on something. As he got nearer he saw she was trying to tie the shoe Jean had found for her.

“Oh hey, are we taking too long?” Jean asked looking up. “I was debating on these two shoes.” He pointed to the pair on the bench. “Those ones you don’t have to tie but the ones she’s wearing now obviously do, so I thought I’d see how well she does with them. She’s catching on quick.” Mikasa let go of the stings and looked up at Levi with a triumphant smile.

Levi knelt next to Jean and inspected her handiwork. “Good work Mika.” He had to tighten it a little more than what she had but she had managed to make the bow on her own. “Would you like to get this pair so you can keep practicing?” Mikasa nodded. “Alright we’ll get these ones then. He put the box away of the unwanted pair and looked through the boots. “Did she end up needing a bigger size?” He asked Jean. “Her feet stayed the same size for now. I felt for where her toe was in the shoe and she still has room.”

“You look for yourself yet?” He asked as he brought a pair of boots over. Jean nodded and pointed to the other shoes on the bench. He had Mikasa hold out her foot so he could put one on.

Levi looked in to see a pair of black shoes. “Is that good enough for work? Shouldn’t they be dressier?” Levi assumed as much since he had to wear slacks and the button up.

“They said all black was fine and they’re supposed to be good for walking around all day. They’re pricier than I wanted though so I’ll pay you back when I get my paycheck.”

“You should get another pair for school too. And you’ll need a pair of boots.”

Jean told Mikasa to walk around while he looked for his footwear. He came back with some canvas shoes and a plain pair of boots. Levi helped Mika put her shoes back on while Jean tried his out. Content, they grabbed the boxes and Mikasa walked between them to join the others.

“You didn’t get any?” Eren asked as he helped hold the boxes while the cashier rung Levi up.

“Mine are fine.” Levi said and Eren looked down at them dubiously. Jean tapped him on the shoulder and asked where the other store was. Eren pointed and gave him the name of it. He offered to go with him but Jean shook his head saying he’d meet them at the playground when he was done. Levi handed Jean the rest of his cash, knowing the teen would spend as little of it as possible, but not sure how much he would need. Levi paid for the shoes with his debit card, which was still a rather odd experience for him, and he and Eren carried the bags. Mikasa walked between Sasha and Connie, each of them holding one of her hands.

They took the kids to another store that Eren led them too. It was all children’s clothing so they were able to find a few more outfits for each of them. Levi also got them each jackets. He guessed on the size for Jeans going between what fit him and Eren. Eren asked him again if he was getting anything for himself pointing out it was getting colder and he walked frequently. Levi got himself another hoodie instead and Eren frowned down at him.

After shopping, Eren led them to where the playground was. Levi found a place to sit where he could see them and sent them loose. Eren put down the bags and said he’d be back in a minute. Levi found his eyes getting heavy again now that he wasn’t moving.

“Here.” Eren said pushing a hot cup towards him. Levi looked over at him. “You look like you can use some caffeine.” Levi took a sip and was surprised by the flavor. It was a coffee of some sort, but not one he’d had before. He wasn’t normally a coffee drinker since he found it to be bitter, but this was smooth. He took another sip. “I wasn’t sure what you would like.” Eren explained. “I figured you needed something stronger than your tea.”

“It’s good. Thank you. If you need to go, we can take the bus home from here.”

“I’ll take you home.” Eren said as he was on his phone. “I’m not going to abandon you here when I brought you. Sorry I didn’t really think of the space though when I offered. It’s probably dangerous to have Mikasa in someone’s lap. She’s the one who’s related to you right? Levi nodded and Eren looked into the playground. “I see the resemblance. I would have thought the two of you were siblings instead of cousins.”

“We get that a lot.” Levi said as he took another sip.

“You’re really good with them though. I mean I figured you would be, but it’s really something else when you figure they’re not related to you. And they’re a lot better than I expected. I figured you’d have 4 little hellions like I was running around. The teens a little moody, but that’s just teens right? He seems way better than I was. I don’t see any rebellious tattoos or piercings anywhere. At least nowhere visible.” He winked and Levi couldn’t help but think of Eren’s piercing which brought on a blush. “Mikasa’s quiet like you and Sasha has an endless amount of energy. Connie seems mature for his age too. They balance each other out really well.”

“Mmm. I guess I lucked out.”

“I think there’s more to it than that. You’ve got to give yourself some credit for them Levi.” He threw his arms up stretching. “Are they acting that way because I’m around?”

“No they’re all acting pretty normal so far. Don’t be surprised if Jean starts to give you a hard time though.”

“That’s fine. I can take it. Hope he doesn’t mind when I give it back to him though.” Eren leaned back in his chair and took a sip of his drink. “Reiner called me the other day. He was one of the cops who took that guy.” Levi nodded vaguely remembering the tall man. “Said they ended up finally nailing that guy with something that stuck. He shouldn’t be bothering you any time soon.”

“How did they manage that? The girl didn’t seem too optimistic.”

“Well when the charge was possession, they were able to obtain a warrant for his house. Found all types of things besides the drugs I guess. Reiner didn’t get into the details but he said it was a good thing he never actually got you to his place. They also found some child porn on his computer. Reiner pulled some strings in the prison he got sent to.” Eren smirked. “Let’s just say he’ll know what it’s like to be someone else’s bitch now.”

“Remind me never to piss you or your friends off then.” Levi said he drank the rest of his coffee as Jean walked up. “You get what you needed?” Jean nodded and sat next to them handing Levi back what money was left along with the receipts. Jean said something again about paying him back but Levi ignored it. He didn’t want Jean trying to take so much responsibility for everything. He didn’t want him to end up like he did, and instead wanted Jean to enjoy his life now.

“Do you want to get something to eat while we’re here? The food court’s not far and it will be my treat.” Eren offered pointing in the direction Levi assumed the food court was.

Jean eyed Eren from across the table. “Better not say that around Sasha, you’ll live to regret it. I swear she has a tapeworm.”

“Can’t be any worse than when I offered to buy Hange drinks on her birthday. There’s something I’ll live to regret.” Eren shuddered.

“I’ll go round them up and see what they want to do.” Levi said standing up sluggishly. The coffee didn’t help much. He could vaguely hear Jean and Eren arguing at the table.

“Hey Connie.” Levi called out to him because he was closest. Connie looked down from where he was at. “You want to get the girls and go to the food court?”

“Food?” Sasha came sliding down a chute with Mikasa in her lap. “Where’s the food?”

“Clearly you’ll pass your hearing test.” Levi said smiling. “Eren said he’d get you guys food from the food court if you want.” He grabbed Mikasa’s hand. Connie slid down a pole and joined them.

They walked to the food court together and each of the kids ended up picking something different. After returning with all the meals they sat down to eat.

“How come you never come over Eren?” Connie asked as he ate. Levi had to remind him not to eat with his mouth full. “Hange comes over all the time.”

“Do you not like kids?” Jean asked.

“No, I actually do like kids. I just figured I’d let you all get comfortable before someone new comes barging in. You all already knew Hange in some form.”

“Is it true you’re friends with the principle too?” Sasha asked after swallowing a bite.

“Yeah. I went to the same school as you. He was just a teacher when I went through though.”

“Is it true about his eyebrows then?” Eren stopped eating when Sasha asked her question.

“What about his eyebrows?”

“Some of the older kids said if you get sent to the principal’s office, Mr. Smith will send his eyebrows after you. Another rumor is that they’re fake and he glues them on every day.”

Eren howled. “Ugh that’s a good one. It’s gotten worse since I was in school then. Sadly neither is true. I have been yelled at a many times by Erwin Smith and his eyebrows have never left his face yet. I really contemplated shaving them off though last New Year’s eve.” He smiled at the memory. “He and Hange had passed out before the ball dropped and I was mad so I pulled my razor out and almost did it. Figured he’d kill me when he woke up though.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t tell them drinking stories about their principle.” Levi admonished.

“Eh. Gives them blackmail for if they ever get called into the principal’s office.” He winked at Connie who nodded. Levi rubbed his hand over his face in defeat.

“Do you like dolls?” Mikasa asked and everyone looked over at her. Mikasa rarely talked to strangers. It had taken her a few times for her to warm up to Hange.

“I don’t mind them. Do you like to play with dolls?” Mikasa nodded “If you want me to play, I’ll play.” He gave her a big smile and Mikasa smiled back.

“Clearly all Ackerman’s like you.” Jean said as he stood up to throw his tray away. “Anyone else done?”

Sasha handed up her plate saying thank you with her mouth full. Getting her another reminder from Levi. Levi started to collect the others as they finished and took the remaining trays to the trash. They took their haul with them to Eren’s car. The trunk was getting full so Sasha and Connie took a couple bags and put them by their feet. Hange was standing in the doorway waving at them when Eren drove in.

“What’s she doing here?” Levi asked no one in particular. He had taken the night off at the brothel since they were going on the shopping excursion so Hange didn’t need to be here to watch them. He had told her as much the other day.

“Most likely nothing you’ll think is good.” Eren said stepping out of the car.

“Hello my sweeties! What are you all doing with Eren?” Hange asked as Sasha ran forward into a hug. Mikasa was also climbing out of Levi’s lap so she could run up to her.

“We found him while we were shopping. Then he took us to this big playground in the mall.” Sasha told her. Hange put her hand on her hip as Levi, Jean and Eren emptied out the trunk with their bags.

“How come he always ends up on the shopping trips?” Hange asked with a pout.

“Oh, don’t get jealous woman.” Eren said as he passed. “Where you want these Levi?”

“You can just put them on the coffee table for now. I’ll sort them and get them where they belong.”

Hange asked as she grabbed a few of the bags from Levi who was struggling a bit to try and get them all in one trip. She went in the house first and Levi could hear the kids talking excitedly. He almost dropped the clothes he was holding as he walked in.

“What the hell Hange?”

“Levi you got us a tv too?” Sasha exclaimed jumping around the room.

“I most certainly did not get you a tv.” He glared at Hange who jumped behind Eren. He was grinning ear to ear.

“Hange I don’t have money for something like this.” Levi said exasperated.

“Well it wasn’t your money that got it was it?” Hange countered. “I went to the flea market this morning and it was too good of a deal to pass up. I got you a used one at least.”

Connie and Mikasa were sitting on the floor in the living room going through bags. Levi pointed to them his glare hardening and Hange eeped and hid behind Eren again. “What the hell is in there?”

“No takebacks.” Hange reminded him peeking up from behind Eren’s shoulders. “You can’t be mad at me. I bought stuff for the kids, not you. Just be quiet and let me be the spoiling aunt.”

Levi let out a frustrated sigh and pulled on his hair. He gave up and made his way into the living room with all the bags he had. “Jean make sure you hang up your work clothes before they wrinkle.” He said pulling them out of the pile first.

“Yeah sure.” Jean said taking them away along with his shoes. He looked between the adults and seemed more than happy to leave at the moment. “Hey guys, go get your things so Levi doesn’t have to do it for you.”

“Oh! Ok!” Sasha ran over to pick up her shoe boxes. “Levi should I leave them in the boxes or throw them away?”

“You can leave them in the boxes for now. Just put them in your closet.”

“Ok.” Sasha hurried up the stairs and came rushing back to get her other clothes.

Eren watched her as he sat down next to Levi on the couch. “Hey Hange, are you sure you didn’t have a kid? Because that girl has more energy than you do. No wonder she’s always hungry.”

“She’s not mine, but she’s definitely my spirit child.” Hange laughed and sat far away on one of the bean bags that she really didn’t fit in. “Don’t be mad Levi. It’s all for the kids.”

“Tch.” Levi got up and went upstairs to get hangers. He was still irritated with Hange but was torn between feeling touched she’d go so far and angry at himself that she felt the need to get it for them since he clearly couldn’t. He pulled hangers out of Mikasa’s room and brought them down so he could hang up her clothes while the others put their own away. 

Eren had left the couch and was messing with the cords and plugs of the things Hange had brought. Along with the tv she had got a stand for it and a dvd player. There were also stacks of books, board games, and books-both reading and coloring from the looks of it. Levi sat down on the couch in a huff and Hange tentatively came and sat by him. She grabbed some of the clothes and started to help. He knew he was being immature but he didn’t feel like looking at her just yet. Mikasa had come over to Eren and was handing him things as he crawled behind the tv.

“He’s got Mikasa fawning over him already? Damn him. It took her days to get used to me. Well I suppose she does act like you so that makes sense.” She looked Levi over and tentatively put a hand on his forehead. “Are you feeling alright dear. You look paler than usual.”

“I’m just tired and frustrated at a crazy maniac who seems to have a shopping problem.” He heard Eren snort behind the tv. He sighed “I haven’t got much sleep lately. Mika’s nightmares have been almost every night and I’ve been working a lot while also keeping up with everything. She has an appointment Wednesday.”

“Do you need some time off? I can give you less hours at the hotel until things calm down.”

“No I’ll need extra money to pay for the specialist. I have no idea how much that will cost.”

“Have you looked at getting assistance?” Levi looked at her confused. “I’ll take that as a no. You should qualify to get them insurance. Now that you have custody of them it shouldn’t be an issue. You’d probably qualify for things like food stamps too.”

“I-I hadn’t thought of that.” He said dejectedly and Hange rubbed his shoulders.

“That’s why we’re here love.” She said kindly. “You can’t be expected to know everything. Besides it was probably never an option before now anyways. I’ll help you fill out the applications when you come back to the hotel.”

“Thank you Hange.” He said quietly. She kissed him on the top of the head before returning to her task.

“No problem love. I’m happy to help.” She sorted through the piles on the coffee table. “How come none of these clothes are for you?”

“I’m fine with what I have. I’ll just take some of Jeans old clothes.” He pointed to the hoodie at the bottom of the pile. “That one’s mine.”

Hange let out a long sigh. “You need to start taking care of yourself too.”

“You’re wasting your breath Hange.” Jean said. He picked up the stuff they had hung and started walking upstairs before calling out. “It’s like talking to a wall.”

Eren had finished plugging in everything and was putting in the batteries for the remotes. He seemed to have been listening to their conversation but hadn’t said anything about it. At least not yet. “Do you need any help love?” Hange asked looking down.

“Nope. I had this little helper with me.” He rubbed Mikasa’s head and she smiled up at him.

“Damn you Eren. It took me days to get her to warm up to me and here you are just sitting there and she’s all googly eyed.” Jean had made his way down and sat down next to Hange. “It’s not fair.” She whined and put her head on Jeans shoulder.

“He must have that effect on Ackerman’s” He whispered nudging Hange.

“Are we ready to try this out, or you want me to wait for the others to come down.”

“Try it? Do you not have faith in me to find something that works?” Hange asked hurt.

“I have my doubts.”

“Might as well try it before they come down. They’ll be a pain if it doesn’t work. At least right now they’re distracted.” Jean said.

“Alright.” Eren picked up a movie randomly while Mikasa climbed into Levi’s lap. Levi tried to get more comfortable buy tucking his feet under him so he didn’t take up much space but was still laying down. He laid his head on the arm rest and Mikasa laid in front of him looking at the tv. Eren turned on the tv and then the DVD player. He put in a disc and hit play on the remote sitting back so he could see the screen better.

“Well Hange looks like you got lucky.” Eren said as the DVD started playing and there was no issues with the picture. It was an older model tv so it wasn’t perfectly clear but it was far more than Levi had expected to have for awhile. Connie and Sasha came down together. Levi told them to pick out a movie without arguing about it and it wasn’t long before they handed Eren one of the cases. He put the DVD in and Hange got up to help Eren move the coffee table out of the way. Hange ordered all the kids to go upstairs and get blankets and pillows. She put down a plush blanket on the floor and tossed all the pillows onto it. Jean left the couch and joined them also Hange went between Sasha and Jean throwing another blanket over top of them.

“Levi do we have popcorn?” Sasha asked turning to look at him before Eren started the movie.

“We just ate Sash.” Connie chided next to her.

“I know, but it’s a movie. You’re supposed to have popcorn with movies right?”

“I think there’s some in the cupboard. I’ll go look.”

“Just stay where you are. I’ll get it. I’m already up anyways.” Eren said heading toward the kitchen.

“If there’s not any can you put it on the list in the top drawer?” Levi asked

“Look at you being all responsible and making lists.” Eren said as he searched the cupboard.

“How else are you supposed to know what to get?”

“I don’t know. I just walk through the aisles until I find what looks good.”

“Anarchist.” Jean teased. “He’s gotta go Hange.”

“I heard that.” Eren replied. “You’re in luck Sasha.” Eren pulled out two bags and put the first one in the microwave.

“Yes!” Sasha got comfy in the bean bag chair and waited for Eren to come back. He found some large bowls and gave Hange one of the bowls. He handed the other one to Connie who looked up at him gratefully before taking a handful and handing the bowl to Sasha. Once she had it she wrapped it around her arms and looked like she’d bite someone who tried to take it from her.

Eren hit play on the remote and joined Levi on the couch. He started to pull on Levi’s legs and Levi looked over at him in confusion.

“You look uncomfortable all smooshed like that give me your feet.” Eren said softly.

Levi shifted pulling his legs out from under him. One of them was falling asleep but he wasn’t telling Eren that. Eren sat close to him and put Levi’s feet in his lap.

“Eren-“ Levi protested quietly trying to withdraw again.

“What? It’s fine. They don’t care anyways.” He gestured to everyone wrapped up together under the blanket. The kids were watching the trailers intently while Jean and Hange were talking quietly themselves. “I’m not going to do anything if that’s what you’re worried about.” He looked hurt and Levi felt bad. He stretched back out again which brought a small smile to Eren’s face.

“I just don’t want to be in the way.” Levi explained.

“You’re not. I could have sat on the other side.” Eren responded softly so as not to disturb the movie. “But if Hange comes back I don’t want her trying to get all close.”

“Jealous?” Levi asked jokingly.

“Yeah. Just a bit.” Eren admitted. He rubbed Levi’s foot through his socks lazily.

“You don’t need to be.” Levi said turning his attention to the tv. Eren smirked.

Sasha turned around and “shhhhed” at them putting a finger to her lips. Eren smiled. “I’m being shhhed at.”

“Well you are talking during the movie.” Levi teased holding back a yelp when Eren reached tickled under his knees. He looked over at Eren trying to glare but saw a small flicker of that glow again and stopped short as Eren smiled hungrily.

“Told you I wouldn’t forget.” Eren barely spoke the words. He turned his head back to the tv. He continued to rub Levi’s feet. Levi felt extremely relaxed and the exhaustion was starting to get to him. Eren’s small ministrations felt soothing. His eyelids were heavy and soon he fell asleep along with Mikasa.


	12. Chapter 12

Laughter. That’s what ended up waking Levi up. He looked around him confused firstly because it took him a moment to remember he fell asleep on the couch and secondly because Mikasa was no longer next to him. Jean was at the other end of the couch, a throw pillow in his lap and his feet shared the middle cushion with Levi’s. He was smiling and trying to hold back a laugh as well. He turned to see the others in a circle on the floor. There was a board game in the middle of the circle but Levi didn’t immediately recognize it. He looked in confusion when he saw Eren’s hair was put up in weird pigtails and he saw Hange’s hair down from its usual high ponytail. Instead it was in a very messy braid. Sasha and Mikasa’s hair were also in braids, but much nicer looking ones. Mikasa had two short pigtails and Sasha had one long side braid.

“I’m going to be the prettiest princess you ever did see.” Eren said as he put something on one of his ears. He turned to Mikasa so she could see it. “How do I look?” Mikasa smiled and nodded.

“If there was ever a doubt on your sexuality, I think this game fixed that.”

“No one asked your opinion horse face.” Eren pointed toward Connie. “Connie is playing. I think thou doth protest too much.”

“Horse face!” Connie fell backwards laughing and pointing at Jean. “I see it now!” Jean’s face turned red with anger. He started to threaten Connie he would cover his face with a pillow at night if he didn’t shut up. Connie stuck his tongue out at him while he put a large ring on his finger.

“Aww you woke Levi up.” Hange said looking back. Levi rubbed his face.

“What time is it?” He asked sleepily.

“7:30.” Eren said looking at his phone. Levi groaned and sat up running a hand through his hair.

Levi looked around blearily. “Someone could have at least woke me up so I could make dinner.”

“Levi there are two older responsible adults here.” Hange sent a look to Eren when he snorted when she said responsible. “So naturally, pizza’s on its way. Ooh a necklace.” She pulled something out of the middle of the board.

“What you do to earn those beads huh?” Eren asked quirking his eyebrow. Hange stuck her tongue out at him.

“What game is that?”

“Pretty pretty princess.” Sasha said with a smile. “Hange got it today.”

“I remember playing this when I was a kid.” Hange’s face was wistful. “I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to play it again. And of course we had to get in character.” She fluffed out her braid. “Every princess should have beautiful hair.”

“That rules you out cue ball.” Jean said. Connie got up and tackled him on the couch. “Hey no tickling you little shit. Jean kicked out and Levi managed to dodge it catching his foot with his hand. Jean froze and shoved Connie for his attention. “Sorry Levi, I didn’t mean to. It’s his fault.”

“Sorry Levi.” Connie said getting off Jean and looking at the floor.

“Just be careful.” He got up and went into the kitchen. He turned on the kettle on the stove and set the table while he waited for the water to heat up. He made a cup of tea once the kettle began to whistle. Levi took a careful sip of tea sighing when he felt the warmth travel down his throat. He heard Sasha yell at Hange and smiled over the brim of his cup.

“Seems like they’re having fun. How come you aren’t playing Jean?” He asked as the teen came into the kitchen too.

“There weren’t enough colors left.” Jean opened the fridge and pulled out the pitcher of lemonade. “Hey! Anyone else want some while it’s out?” He said shaking the remaining liquid. “There’s not much left.”

“I’ll have some when the pizza comes. Can you put it by my plate?” Connie was sporting two of the plastic earrings and a necklace.

“I’ll take whatever’s left.” Sasha said. “I’ll wait until pizza too.”

Jean pulled out their glasses, pouring himself a drink first then finishing off the pitcher. He pulled out the drink mix and made another batch before putting their cups on the table.

“Boo-yah!” Connie said jumping up. “That’s right ladies and gentlemen. I got the crown first.” Connie put the paper crown on his head. “Only one more piece to go!”

“What’s the black ring mean?”

“It means you can’t win until you get rid of it even if you have all your pieces.” Hange explained.

“I think I should start wearing my earrings again.” Eren played with the plastic earrings he wore.

“You have piercings?” Sasha asked looking closely at him while he stretched out propping himself up with his arms.

“Well I did have them. I had to go and be all grown up and get rid of most of them. A couple I can still wear though like my ears.”

“What did you have.”

“My eyebrow and lip. Had my tongue for a little bit but didn’t care for it much.”

“In other words, Erwin made him take it out because he kept clicking it against his teeth in class.”

Eren laughed “Oh yeah. Forgot about that. He also threatened to drag me to detention by my eyebrow piercing once. Needless to say, Erwin was not a fan. Lost the eyebrow one in a fight though.” He pointed to the small scar that broke up his brow.

“Ouch. That must have hurt.”

“You have no idea.”

There was a knock at the door and Jean was faster than Levi to answer it. Hange called out to him from her spot on the floor. “It’s already paid for including the tip. Why do I have to give some of my jewelry up? I like my bling.” Hange was holding out her hand and looking at the ring on her finger pouting finally taking it off an putting it back in the middle.

Jean brought the pizzas to the kitchen counter and he and Levi spread the different flavors across the counter. Levi picked up 2 slices for Mikasa, cutting them for her before she made her way here.

“Oooh! I won! I won!” Sasha jumped up and down holding the crown in her hand.

“Just in time too. Come and eat.” Levi took a slice for himself and leaned against the counter as he ate knowing there wasn’t enough spots at the table for all of them.

“So much for you being the prettiest princess.” Jean muttered as Eren walked by.

“Oh, you wait. I will be someday. There’s some tough competition though.” He made his way to the pizza taking a couple slices. Levi couldn’t help but reach up to flick one of his pigtails. Eren chuckled.

“Can we watch another movie?” Connie asked as he put the game away before coming into the kitchen.

“Take your showers first and get into pajamas, but you can watch another movie after.” Levi conceded enjoying seeing the children so lively. Even Mikasa seemed to come out of her shell a little. He had to admit Hange might have made the right choice on this one. She seemed to think the same thing. She had a smug look on her face when looked over at him. She made her way to the pizza she frowned when she saw what remained of his single piece. “You’d better be eating more than that.”

“I’m just making sure everyone gets enough of what they want first.” He closed one of the empty boxes and put it near the trash. He took another slice for emphasis which seemed to please Hange. Once the kids were done eating, they rushed upstairs to clean up and get changed. Jean offered to help Mikasa with her bath and followed the others up while holding onto Mikasa’s hand.

Levi picked up the dishes and started the dish water. He felt Eren step in behind him, a gentle hand on his back as he leaned in to put his dishes with the others. Levi shivered at the proximity. “Go sit down, I’ll handle these.”

“I can do them.” Levi protested. “I’ve done nothing but sleep for the last few hours.”

“You’re tired.” Eren’s lips brushed against his neck. “Just relax for one night.” Levi dropped the plate he was holding back into the water when Eren began to nibble on his ear. He sighed and relented. Eren must have felt Levi’s tension fade because he felt the smile on his neck. “Thank you.” Levi left him and joined Hange in the living room who was picking up the game and putting the blanket and pillows back down.

“If you want to go to sleep I can watch the children.” Hange offered. He must still look bad that everyone was offering to help. He shakes his head and sits in front of the couch. Since he took up so much of it last time he wants other people to be able to sit there instead.

“I can’t guarantee I can stay up for this one but I doubt it all the kids will make it through too. Sasha has boundless amounts of energy until bedtime, then it’s like she shuts down.” One by one, the children came down, Jean being the last. Eren had finished the dishes and had made himself comfortable on the couch behind Levi one leg hanging down and the other propped up where he rested an arm. Hange, resting her head on his shoulder. Jean had joined them on the couch while Mikasa was lying in between Connie and Sasha on the floor. Connie had let Sasha pick the movie this time since he had picked the last. Once everyone was settled Eren put the movie on. As predicted, the children didn’t make it through. The excitement of the day finally wearing them all out. Levi turned to see both Hange and Eren were sleeping lightly as well, and didn’t want to disturb them yet. Moving quietly, Levi picked Sasha up first. Her eyes opened when she was picked up but closed once more once she saw Levi, an arm wrapping around his neck as he carried her upstairs. Not wanting to risk getting her up the ladder, he put her in Mikasa’s bed. He knew the girls often ended up sleeping together anyways unless Mikasa was with someone else.

No one had stirred yet, so he picked up Connie next. He hadn’t stirred at all, his head lolled into Levi, and his breathing heavy. He tucked him in and gave him a soft peck on his cheek telling him goodnight as he left. Mikasa was awake and wiping the sleep from her eyes when he came down again. He picked her up and hummed to her a song he recalled from his mother, but had long since forgotten the words to it. She had fallen asleep again by the time he put her in her bed, pulling the sheets tightly around both girls. Mikasa sought out the warm body beside her and cuddled next to Sasha who threw an arm around the younger girl. He kissed each of their foreheads and brushed away the hair that had fallen over Sasha’s face. He hoped Mikasa would be able to sleep through the night this time as he shut their door.

While he could theoretically carry the lanky teen to his room as well, he assumed Jean would be rather irritated by it so he stood in front of him and tapped his shoulder. “Jean, its time for bed.” He told the teen who started at him in confusion. He saw Jean’s eyes look around while he got his bearings. With a small nod, he picked up one of the pillows that had been thrown on the ground and made his way toward the steps. Knowing Hange had issues with insomnia, he didn’t want to wake her when she appeared to be in a fitful sleep so he picked up one of the pillows on the floor and placed it where Jean had been. Gently, he laid Hange down so she was no longer against Eren, the movement waking Eren up and blearily resting his gaze on Levi. Levi put a finger to his lips and Eren gave a small nod standing up from the couch. Levi pulled Hange’s feet up and took off her glasses carefully, putting them on the end table where she would see them in the morning. Eren came over with the blanket and covered Hange up, a small snort the only indication she noticed anything in her sleep.

“I guess I should get going then.” Eren said quietly, his voice lower from sleep. Levi grabbed onto his shirt when he started to move to the door.

“You’re tired Eren. Just stay here for the night.” Levi said looking up at the taller man.

“But the kids…” Eren’s voice trailed off. “They don’t really know me yet.”

“Shh. Other than Jean, they won’t think anything of it.” Levi gripped his hand in his own and pulled him toward the steps. Eren followed, wrapping his arms around Levi and leaning heavily on the shorter man. Levi helped him up the stairs in his dreamy state, coming across Jean coming out of the bathroom as they walked. Jean stopped in the middle of the hallway, a small look of annoyance across his sleepy features before he walked into his bedroom.

“He doesn’t seem pleased.” Eren murmured. “You sure I shouldn’t just leave?” Levi continued to his doorway when Jean came out again, holding a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. He shoved them at Levi.

“Just remember the walls are thin. I better not hear anything. Goodnight.” Jean turned around and shut his door quietly so as not to wake up Connie. Eren held back a laugh and a retort to the teen. Levi just sighed and opened the door to his room.

Eren flopped onto his futon stretching out his limbs. You changed out the beds.” He said and Levi raised his eyebrow at him. “I noticed last time too but I was a little distracted.”

“I figured Jean should have the better one.” Eren released a long sigh before sitting up. “Here I believe these are for you.” He tossed the clothes Jean had given him to Eren. “You can go get a shower if you want. There’s towels in the linen closet.”

“On a scale of 1-10 how much would it bother you if I don’t take a shower?” Eren asked propping himself on his elbows as he looked over at Levi.

“Probably a 5.” Levi responded honestly. “I don’t like the idea of being dirty and sleeping in bed, but I’m not going to force you.”

Eren exaggerated his sigh as he got up holding Jeans clothes in his hand. “Fine. I suppose that’s what I get for liking a clean freak. I’d rather like to increase my chances of cuddling tonight though.”

Levi climbed into bed while he waited feeling oddly nervous. This was something unusual for him. While he was used to having sex with people he couldn’t recall a time he’d actually just slept with someone other than Eren and the kids. He wasn’t sure how to act, where just a few minutes ago this seemed almost normal. Damn his stupid brain for insisting things were clean. Had he just let Eren go to sleep again he may not have felt so anxious as he does now. Eren was back after a few minutes running the towel through his hair before hanging it on the hook on Levi’s door. Jean’s clothes were still a little too tight on him, but better than it would have been had he tried to wear some of his. He put his clothes on top of Levi’s hamper for now.

“You think the girls will be mad I took the pigtails out when they see me?” Eren yawned as he approached. “They worked hard to do mine and Hange’s hair.”

“So that’s why Hange’s hair looked so bad.”

Eren laughed lightly as he climbed in next to Levi. They laid so they were facing one another and could talk quietly for awhile. “Yeah, Sasha commented on the princess having a braid, so Hange did her hair and I did Mikasa’s. Then they wanted to return the favor. It wasn’t long after they’d finished you woke up.”

“ _You_ did Mika’s hair?” Levi asked incrediously and Eren looked offended.

“Yeah I did it. Why is that so surprising?”

“Just not something I would expect you to know how to do.”

“Eh, it’s something I picked up in foster care. One of the girls had a hard time braiding her own hair but liked how curly it made it when she took em out so I had her teach me how and I helped her. I can show you. The girls said you didn’t know how. It’s not hard.”

“Sure. They both seemed to like it and they looked cute with them.” Eren smiled brightly at him. “What?”

“Nothing. Just one of the first times it didn’t seem like you protested when someone offered to help you.” Eren pulled Levi to him earning him a small squawk from Levi and gave him a gentle kiss.

Levi pulled away and hid his face on Eren’s chest. “I’m not used to it. Not really used to this either.”

“Well you’d better get used to it because I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon.” He wrapped his arms around Levi and pulled the covers over them hiding a yawn.

“Go back to sleep.” Levi admonished looking up at Eren who was fighting to keep his eyes open.

“Shh, I’m enjoying this.” Eren said as he traced small circles on Levi’s back. It was incredibly soothing to Levi and he gave a soft moan and his whole body relaxed over Eren’s. “Someday I’m giving you a massage. You are incredibly tense all the time, yet so sensitive to the gentlest touches.” Levi could only give a noncoherent reply back. Within a few moments, both of them were sound asleep in the comfort of each other’s arms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Opinion time! I have a rather dark chapter planned soon. Do you all prefer the fluffy chapters like this one, or do you want to see some dark angst? Or more lemon? Let me know your thoughts in the comments. I have an outline for about 6 chapters that I know I want to do, but if there's anything you want to see feel free to leave feedback. It makes me really happy when I see comments coming in.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren spends the day with the kids alone. He and Levi have a talk about their 'relationship'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not a big fan of how this chapter came out, but I can't look at it anymore to try and fix it. Enjoy. Feel free to leave comments or suggestions.

Eren’s POV

“I didn’t know we were having a sleepover.” Eren heard voices whispering nearby. “How come Levi didn’t say anything? We could have just all slept downstairs together.” He felt someone poke him in the arm, but he couldn’t bring himself to open his eyes yet.

“Hey, you three what are you doing in there?” He heard another voice whispering more urgently. “Come on get out.”

“Why? Levi never cares any other time.”

“Come my little ducklings. I have food started.” Eren recognized Hange’s voice, hers being the loudest but coming from farther away.

“Aww fine.” Eren finally opened his eyes when the room became silent again. He felt around him for where there should have been another body, but Levi was nowhere to be found. Yawning and stretching he sat up. He noticed the clothes he had come in had been washed and hung up on Levi’s closet doorknob. He sighed. Of course Levi would clean his clothes for him. Not feeling like putting on the suit again just yet he made his way downstairs smelling bacon and pancakes cooking.

“Good morning sleepy head. Did you enjoy the sleepover?” Hange asked with a wink. She slid a cup of coffee to him which he took gratefully. It didn’t take him long to realize Levi must have bought some for him after the last time he was here. It made him happy Levi had considered it and it meant the younger man had planned on him coming over again soon.

“Morning Eren.” Sasha said patting the seat between her and Mikasa. “Come sit here.” Eren looked around the room still trying to get his bearings. The teen Jean was giving him a look but didn’t say anything. He did as the young girl asked and sat between them sipping his coffee while still looking around. “Where’s Levi?” He asked surprised he didn’t see him anywhere.

“He’s at work. He had his shift at the diner this morning.” Jean explained.

“Oh, he didn’t mention it.” He looked back at Hange while she cooked on the griddle. “You need any help there?”

“Not from you. I’d rather not burn down the house thank you.” Hange said as she flipped one of the pancakes.

Sasha pulled on his hair where the pigtails had been last night. “Aww they’re gone.”

“Yeah I took a shower last night. If you want, you can put them back in later. I can do yours and Mika’s again too.” Sasha’s eyes beamed and she nodded enthusiastically. Eren smiled finding the young girl’s enthusiasm contagious.

“You’re not showing any houses today?” Hange asked as she brought over the plates of pancakes and bacon. Sasha stabbed 3 of the pancakes with a fork and put them on her plate before anyone could move. Hange laughed and said she’d make more.

Eren let the children fill their plates first, deciding to wait on the second batch. “Nothing is planned today. Sundays are usually pretty quiet for me.

“Does that mean you’ll stay and hang out with us too?” Connie asked after taking a long sip of his water.

“I can if you want me to.” Eren said. “It’s better than going home and cleaning.” Hange let out a bark behind him.

“You cleaning. That’s a sight I’d like to see. You forget I’ve been to your house darling.”

“It is cluttered. That’s all. Besides I have no reason to keep it spotless. No one’s ever there anyways.” Eren muttered into his cup. Jean had come around and was cutting up Mikasa’s pancakes for her. “How’d you sleep Mikasa.” He asked noticing the girl seemed to be more awake than she had been yesterday.

“She slept all night didn’t you Mika?” Sasha said happily and Mikasa nodded her feet kicking impatiently while she waited for Jean to cut her food. “She didn’t even go and sleep with Levi.”

“Well you were sleeping with her last night so maybe that helped some.” Hange said coming back with more pancakes. Eren reached over and grabbed Jean’s plate for him putting some on along with the bacon he’d already taken. Jean nodded at him in thanks finishing cutting up Mikasa’s food and going back to his seat. Eren put a couple pancakes on his plate and Hange sat between the boys on the other side.

“Are you staying today too Hange?” Connie asked looking up at her.

“No, I need to take care of some things at the hotel, but I’ll be back later when Levi goes to work again.” Eren didn’t miss when Jean stopped eating and looked up at Hange expectantly.

“Levi’s working again tonight?”

“Mmhmm. He asked me if I’d come back later when he was leaving this morning. Why? Is it a problem?” Hange had caught onto Jean’s reaction as well.

“No. It’s fine I guess.” Jean moved the food around on his plate. “He did spend a lot yesterday, so I guess it makes sense. He usually doesn’t work Sundays anymore though.”

Hange ruffled his hair and tried to assure him that everything was fine. Jean didn’t seem to buy it, but he dropped the subject. They continued to eat breakfast together. The kids asked Eren more questions as they ate, and he was happy to oblige, but he avoided questions about his childhood or his family. Hange often came to his rescue when she’d realize the conversation was going a way that he didn’t like. Sasha had seen his forearm tattoo since he was wearing a t-shirt and he didn’t think anything of it when he came down. She asked about it and he told her Hange had made the design, but he skipped over the meaning behind it and he was grateful when none of the kids asked about his scars on his wrists. He did see that Jean noticed them though, his eyebrows lifting recognizing them for what they were. With his tan skin they were very easily visible. Hange did her best to look unbothered by them. When they were all done eating, Eren offered to clean up since Hange had cooked. Jean sent his siblings up to get cleaned up and dressed, telling them to bring down their homework so they could work on it together before Levi came home.

“You think Levi would be upset the kids asked me to stay?” Eren asked Hange when she came into the kitchen.

“Of course not love. I think he’ll be secretly delighted when he comes home and sees you’re still here. Do you want me to run to your place and get you anything before I go home?”

“Nah I’m alright in this and Levi apparently washed my suit at some point.”

“He doesn’t sleep often so he usually does laundry while we’re all sleeping.” Jean said from the table as he wiped it down muttering about the amount of syrup on the table from Sasha and Mikasa. “He’s so used to Mika waking up I don’t think he ever gets a full night’s sleep. He probably got the most he’s had in awhile yesterday though between the nap and going to bed when we all did. Unless you kept him up later.” Jean gave him a death glare.

“I was a perfect gentleman thank you.” Eren said pretending to be offended by Jean’s suggestion. “Besides you heard him yesterday. We’re _friends_.”

“Oh, you’re not honestly upset about that are you?” Hange hit him with a towel playfully. “Of course, he would introduce you as a friend to the kids. They don’t know you. Besides, before you get too upset have you asked him to be anything other than friends?” Hange asked and Jean crossed his arms waiting for his answer.

“How come I feel like _I’m_ the one being interrogated by the parents when he’s one of the damn kids? I’m waiting for you to ask ‘what are your intentions with our Levi’ or something ridiculous like that. No, we haven’t talked about it. I told him I liked him. He didn’t come right out and say he liked me too, but it seems like he does.”

“So, what are your intentions with him?” Jean asked and Eren rolled his eyes at him. “You think he’s easy just because of what he does?”

Eren started to get frustrated with the teen. “No horse face, actually I think it’s harder because of what he does, because I don’t think he’s ever been with someone that he actually likes. If I wanted an easy lay, I’d just pay for a night and be done with him. I feel like I’m walking on eggshells with him trying to take this at a damn snail’s pace, so I don’t freak him out or have him think like you apparently do. Not to mention his own self-worth seems to be nonexistent which is frustrating as hell.”

“See I told you.” Hange said smiling broadly. Jean nodded a smile crossing his face also.

“Good. I just needed to make sure. Although you call me horse face again, we’re going to have issues.”

“And what exactly was the plan if I didn’t say what you wanted?”

“Well your response depended on if I help you with him or I make it, so you’ll never have a chance to see him. We can be rather demanding kids you know.” Jean sneered at him. “The kids are really good at listening to me and we all want what’s best for Levi.”

“Yeah well so do I.”

\----

Hange had left about an hour ago and Eren sat outside on the small picnic table while the younger kids played. They were taking a break from their homework for awhile and Eren was enjoying the current coolness in the air. Clouds moving their direction warned about potential rain later, but in the afternoon hours everything seemed calm. Jean came out of the house and appeared anxious while he held a notebook in his hand.

“What’s up kid?” Eren asked after Jean seemed undecisive as to where to go. Jean frowned at him but came and sat beside him on the picnic table.

“You do know I’m 16, right?”

“Which still makes you a kid.” Eren said smiling. “If it makes you feel any better Hange and Erwin still call me kid. Now quit avoiding my question. What’s up?”

“Would you be willing to look over my paper for me? I don’t like to ask Levi because he gets irritated, he doesn’t know what I’m learning.”

“Sure. I can look. English wasn’t my best subject, but I still know the basics. Is there anything in particular you want me to look for?”

“It doesn’t seem to flow right, but I don’t know what to do to fix it.” Reluctantly Jean handed him his notebook. “Sorry if the handwriting is hard to read. I’ll go and type it at school in the morning.”

“Please. You should see Hange’s handwriting. This is fine. My laptop is in my trunk if you want to type it here, so you don’t need to go early.” He pulled on the notebook so Jean would let it go finally.

“Why would you have something like that in your trunk?”

Eren shrugged. “Its my work one so it’s always in the car with me. It’s just easier. I keep the car locked and I’m not all that worried about people stealing it around here.”

Jean sat silently while Eren read over the paper fidgeting in his spot when Eren would look up or seem like he stopped reading for a moment. When Eren finished he turned the notebook around so Jean could see it without reading upside down. He gave him some pointers and suggestions and Jean jotted them down. When Jean told him who the instructor was Eren gave a few recommendations that that teacher nitpicked on. He sent Jean out to his car to grab the laptop and Jean started typing away once Eren logged him in.

“Hey big brother!” Eren heard shuffling on the other side of the fence and looked up confused. A chestnut haired girl popped her head over the fence. She cocked her head in confusion. “You’re not big brother.”

“Hi Izzy, Levi’s at work.” Jean said not bothering to look up as he typed. “This is Eren.”

“Oh. Phooey.” Izzy waved at Eren and he waved back. “I’m Isabel but you can call me Izzy. Farlan is around here somewhere too.”

Jean stopped typing and turned to Isabel. “You’re going to get hurt doing that someday.” The older woman stuck her tongue out at him. “What’s up?”

“I made a fruit salad, but there’s too much for Farlan and me. I’m worried it’s going to go bad, so I was going to invite you all over for lunch. Or I can bring it over if that would be better.”

Jean looked over at Eren who shrugged. He didn’t know the neighbors well enough to make the call for them and he didn’t want to overstep. The young woman didn’t seem like a danger to the kids though. “Sure Izzy that sounds good.” Jean said finally. “Then I don’t have to try and feed everyone.”

Isabel laughed while nodding. “I remember the last time you attempted.” She looked towards Eren while she explained. “No one could get the smoke alarm to shut off and then we kept hearing Levi and Jean arguing. Farlan went over to help and said the house was filled with smoke. “What were you trying to cook again?”

“Omelets.” Jean muttered. “Look not everyone can be good at everything. I’ve never really had the chance to cook before.”

“Well, at least you’re cute.” Isabel said before hopping down so Eren couldn’t see her anymore. “Feel free to come over when you want. Eren you’re welcome to come over too.”

“Please tell me she and Hange haven’t met yet?” Eren asked leaning into Jean. The teen smirked at him and shook his head. “Good. Something tells me that would be a disaster.” He stood up, stretching out his limbs as he did so and yelled to the kids, telling them that they’d been invited next door to eat. Without him saying anything they all ran inside to get cleaned up on their own. Eren assumed it was habit from living with Levi. “You coming too?”

“In a little bit. I want to finish this. I’ll meet you over there.” Eren gave Jean a nod and followed the kids inside washing his face and running a hand through his messy hair. He looked down at his scars frowning. He didn’t want to change into his suit yet, but regretted not having another long sleeve to wear when meeting new people. He poked his head out the back door. “Jean, you care if I steal a long sleeve from your room?” Jean looked up again confused but he nodded telling him where he would find one in his room. Eren walked upstairs and found the one that looked the largest throwing it on over the t-shirt. He walked over with the kids, the door opening before he or anyone else could knock. A good looking young man opened the door.

“Hey guys. Isabel’s got the food on the table. Go help yourself.” He smiled as the kids ran past him. He held out his hand to Eren. “Hi I’m Farlan.”

“Eren.” He said taking the man’s hand. He looked around. The apartment was a mirror image to Levi’s like he expected. “Thanks for having everyone over.”

“It’s no problem. Izzy wasn’t lying when she got too much. Plus she’s been on this baking spree trying out new recipes which is way too much for just the two of us.” Farlan looked around “Jean’s not coming?”

“He’ll be over in a bit. He was finishing a paper for school.” Farlan nodded and led the way to the kitchen table. Eren was still amazed how well behaved the kids could be. Messy sometimes sure, but otherwise very polite to those around them. Connie said thank you when Isabel offered him some iced tea. Sasha had already started eating and Mikasa sat with a bowl of fruit in front of her, her head bobbing from side to side while she ate.

“Hi there!” Isabel sat the tea down on the table and surprisingly wrapped Eren in a hug. “It’s nice to meet you. I take it you’re a friend of Levi’s?” Eren nodded to her and she smiled up at him. “That’s good. It seems like they don’t have many.” She said quietly and Eren realized she was the observant type like Hange. It really would not be wise for her and Hange to be in the room together. “Come on in and help yourself. Mi Casa es tu Casa” She sat down next to Sasha who stopped eating long enough to tell Isabel all about their day yesterday when Isabel asked where they were off to yesterday. Eren made a small plate for himself, not very hungry yet but not wanting to be rude. He sat by Mikasa asking how she enjoyed the food. She hummed and nodded. He and Farlan chatted a little bit before Farlan got up to answer the tentative knock. Jean came in and fixed his plate. Eren picked Mikasa up and sat her on his lap so Jean would have a place to sit. Mikasa didn’t seem to mind, in fact she seemed to relax some.

Eren offered to help clean up when everyone had finished but Isabel shook her head saying she’d take care of it. She had been happy just to have the company and Farlan told him quietly she’s been wanting to have an excuse to hang out with the kids since they met them. With a wave and a round of thanks, they returned to Levi’s apartment. Eren decided to put together something in the crock pot so Levi wouldn’t need to worry about cooking that night. He brought Jean in with him, showing him how to do it and putting an app on his phone so he could make some slow cook dishes when Levi would be gone. Eren sat down on the couch and Mikasa pulled herself up to sit beside him, a book in her hand. Connie and Sasha were working on homework on the floor.

“Eren can I read my story to you?” Mikasa asked shyly.

“Mikasa’s been practicing reading.” Connie explained. She’s getting better.” Sasha nodded in approval.

“Sure. I can braid your hair again while you read. Sound good?” Mikasa smiled at him and her smile melted his heart. He realized he wasn’t just falling for Levi, but these kids too. This was going to be the end of him.

\--------

Levi’s POV

Levi was walking home when he noticed Eren’s car was still in the driveway. He figured the other man would have left by now, having other things to do than hang out with him and the kids. He had to admit he was happy Eren was still there. He felt bad leaving this morning without saying anything, but Eren looked so peaceful he didn’t want to wake him. He walked into the house and saw Sasha and Connie on the floor while Mikasa was sitting between Eren’s legs on the couch. He was braiding her hair while she read to him. Eren helped her with the words she didn’t know, sounding them out for her if she needed it. Jean was nowhere to be seen.

“Welcome home.” Eren said noticing Levi’s arrival before the kids did. Levi felt a small warmth hearing those words from Eren and so calmly. “How was work?”

“Fine. Sorry I’m a little later than I expected. Reeves wanted to do an inventory of the remaining supplies. We may need to close down a couple days early depending on how things go.” Levi took off his shoes and hugged Sasha who had come up to greet him. “How was your day?” He asked as he knelt down to her level. Sasha enthusiastically told him everything that happened. Connie running up and adding his own parts to the story. “Where’s Jean?” Levi asked when they had finished.

“He said he had to do study for a test tomorrow so he’s upstairs. These two are working on their math, and Mika here is reading me a story. Mikasa nodded smiling brightly at Levi and holding up her book to him. “They wanted to get all the school work out of the way before you got home.”

“Thank you for helping.” Levi said and Eren gave him a small smile.

“Can we watch a movie now? We didn’t want to start one until you came home so we could watch one together.”

“Ok but see if Jean wants to come down or not.” Connie hurried up the stairs calling Jean’s name. Mikasa got off the couch to join Sasha by the movies and Levi took the opportunity to sit by Eren. Eren put his legs down to make room for him.

“You didn’t need to stay. Jean can watch them while I’m at work.” When Eren seemed sad that mentioned it he was quick to respond back “But I’m glad you’re still here. I just feel guilty monopolizing everyone’s time.”

“There’s no need to feel guilty, I wanted to stay. We had fun today.” Eren looked over to make sure the kids were busy before pecking him on the cheek causing Levi to blush. “It was better than I would have done at home anyways.”

“Jean says he’s staying upstairs for this one.” Connie said looking dejected. “Says he wanted to get a head start on his school work since he starts work tomorrow.”

“Did they eat lunch?” Levi asked Eren. He nodded and pointed to the crock pot on the counter.

“I also got something started for dinner too. I wasn’t sure when you’d be back.”

“Oh, Thank you again.” Levi got up to get the clothes he had put in the dryer before he left and started to fold them while the movie started.

Eren brought over his laptop. “So, don’t take this the wrong way, but Jean asked me to look up some stuff for you.” Connecting his laptop to his phone’s hotspot, he turned the screen around so Levi could see it.

“GED courses? What’s that?” Levi asked perplexed.

“It would be like you getting your high school diploma. He said its something that bothers you and I’ve caught it in a few of our conversations too. I can help you study for it if you’ll let me A lot of what Jean is learning would be on there too.” He pulled up another page. “Then you could maybe take a course or two where I went. Nothing fancy, but something that will get you a better job. Maybe only have one job so you don’t miss out on so much.”

Levi took the laptop from Eren so he could see it better. “I can still get my diploma?” He asked as he looked through the site. “Even though it’s been awhile since I dropped out?”

“Well you’d get the equivalent of one which really is the thing that matters. I messaged Erwin to make sure this site was legit too.”

“Eren.”

“You don’t need to say yes or no yet. I just wanted to throw it out as an option. Jean said it’s something you regret which is why you push him to finish. I also want you to know it doesn’t matter to me either way what you decide.”

“I’ll think about it.” Levi said nodding. Eren’s eyes filled with relief and he saw Eren’s shoulders visibly relax like he was worried Levi would react differently.

“Eren.” Sasha stood between them and Eren turned his attention to her. “Will you still braid my hair too before you go?”

“Of course. Here sit on the floor. I’m going to teach Levi so he can do it ok?” She nodded and sat where he had pointed. Mikasa and Connie were sitting on one of the bean bags together watching the show they put on. Eren parted her hair so she’d have two braids and he could show Levi while he did his own rather than take it out and redo it frequently. Sasha sat there patiently watching the movie while Eren instructed Levi in hushed tones. Levi had managed to do it, but it certainly wasn’t good looking. He tried it a few more times, this time Eren came over and kneeled by Sasha instructing him and getting Levi to get a technique down. On the fourth try, he had less strands coming out of the braid, but it still didn’t look like Eren’s. He had Eren fix it for him while he got up to check on dinner before he left. Eren said he’d stay for dinner, offering to take him to work afterwards. The rain Eren had been expecting had started and didn’t seem like it was going to let up soon. Levi conceded when Eren had come behind him and started kissing his neck asking next to his earlobe. He bit down hard on Levi’s neck and Levi threw up his hand over his mouth to hide his moan. Eren kissed the spot lovingly and gave him a mischievous smile when Levi finally turned around.

“What? I thought I’d give your customers something to look at.” He grinned and Levi frowned at him crossing his arms.

“You know it’s just a job, right?” Levi asked quietly. “It doesn’t mean anything to me.”

“Yeah I know. At least a part of my head does. The other part is a very green jealous little bitch. Which I know is stupid. You know, since we’re just friends.”

Levi caught how he said the word friends and looked up at Eren. “Do you not want to be just friends?” He asked. “I didn’t know what to call you and we never really talked about _this_.”

Eren turned to make sure the kids were still watching the movie before he pulled Levi tight to him. He kissed him hard and Levi wrapped his hands around Eren’s neck. Eren pulled back and touched his forehead to Levi’s. “I’d very much prefer us to be more than just friends, but I can wait if you’re not ready yet.”

“I’ve never dated anyone.” Levi admitted sadly. “I wouldn’t have a clue what to do or how to act. I’d likely do a lot of things that upset you. That’s not even including dealing with my work.”

“We’ll figure things out as we go along. I can be patient. Most of the time. I’ve only really dated a couple people myself so It’s not like I’m going to be an expert.” He ran his hands over Levi’s sides. “As for work, I’ll tell the jealous bitch to calm down for now.”

Eren helped Levi put the children to bed after the movie. Jean told them goodnight but kept his lamp on while he continued working on his school work. Levi told him not to stay up too late. Eren had gone downstairs and sat on the couch. He had put on his own clothes so Jean could have his back. Levi was torn as to which way he preferred to see Eren. He had enjoyed seeing him in relaxing clothes and just hanging out with the kids. It felt normal, like they had been doing this for ages and not just since yesterday. Rather than sit next to Eren, Levi crawled onto his lap. Eren raised his eyebrows but was more than happy to go along with it, especially when Levi began to kiss him. Eren brought his arms around Levi, pulling the shorter man closer to him and deepening the kiss. They pulled back only when they needed to breathe.

“Not that I mind, but that was unexpected.” Eren said with a smile. He rubbed Levi’s back while he held him in place. “What time do you need to go to work.”

“There’s no set time. But I won’t leave until Hange gets here at least.” He moaned softly when Eren began kissing his neck. “Hange will be coming in soon.” Levi warned.

“Then she’ll learn to knock before coming in.” Eren said as he kissed his collarbone, but didn’t leave another mark. His hands went under Levi’s shirt, skimming his fingers all across Levi’s upper body underneath. Levi gripped onto his hair pulling his neck up before assaulting Eren’s neck with hungry kisses. Eren bit his lower lip to prevent himself from making too much noise, especially when Levi returned the love bite Eren gave him earlier. Eren ground into him which made Levi sink his mouth on him harder so he didn’t cry out.

“What would I need to do to persuade you to just skip work tonight?” Eren asked his eyes beginning to turn from teal to a yellow/green color. Eren started kissing his earlobe and Levi was losing his train of thought.

“I-I need the money.” Levi said but the idea of staying was more tempting.

“How much money do you make there a night?” Eren asked curiously. When Levi sat back, he didn’t see any judgement on Eren’s face. Levi gave him an average number and Eren’s eyebrows raised.

“Really that’s it?” Eren asked confused. Levi cocked his head to the side. He always thought he made a good amount. “It’s more than you’d make at most jobs for a day, but not as much as I was expecting honestly.”

“The owner takes a percentage of the payment.”

“Do they give you the payment or does she get it first?” Eren questioned.

“She gets it.” Levi carded his hand through Eren’s hair. “Why?”

“Hmm, just wondering if she takes a bigger percentage than what she says.” He kissed Levi hard bringing their attention back to the steamy make out session. “If I wasn’t worried you’d be incredibly insulted I’d offer you more to stay.” Eren said smiling but still pulling back so he could see Levi’s face.

Levi stopped moving on his lap and Eren’s face dropped. “I wouldn’t want that to be the reason why we’re together.” Levi told him seriously. Eren nodded and dropped his forehead to his shoulder.

“I know. I just don’t want you to go. I’m quite comfy here.”

Levi had done this to try to assure Eren, but it didn’t seem to be working in his favor. He patted Eren’s head affectionately. “I’d much prefer to stay here than go there.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “It’s getting harder to go there at all.” He rubbed his head into Eren’s chest. “If I wanted to get the GED thing how long do you think it would take?”

“I’m not sure. I’m assuming it’s dependent on how much you know and how much you’ll need to learn. I’d say maybe a few months?”

“And those other courses?” Levi continued and Eren’s eyes lit up.

“Some are a month, but most are 3-6 months at least.” Levi frowned feeling a little deflated.

“So best case scenario, 6 months.” Levi said dejectedly. Eren’s hands rubbed his back “Do you really think I can? I wasn’t exactly the best student in school.” Eren kissed his lower lip

“I think you’ve dealt with things a lot worse than this. I think you’ll do fine and you have people who can help you.” He flicked Levi’s nose “As long as you let them.”

“I don’t deserve someone like you.” Levi said wrapping himself around Eren tightly. He wanted to be selfish. He wanted this and he wanted his family. Eren tilted his chin up and kissed him fervently.

“You deserve all the good that comes to you.” He said kissing Levi all over. “You got dealt a shitty hand. Time to throw it back in the deck and start fresh.” Levi’s whole body flushed. Eren stopped his movements. “Hi Hange.”

Levi turned, his face turning an even darker shade of red. Hange was standing there with a huge grin on her face. She waved at them innocently. “Are you boys having fun?”

“Told you she’d probably just watch.” Eren said into his neck. He didn’t put much effort into letting Levi go.

“I can come back later if you want.” Hange said holding up her keys. “Maybe take a trip around the block?”

Levi shuffled to get off Eren’s lap secretly pleased when Eren whined when he sat up. “I should get going to work.” He held out his hand to Eren to help pull the older man up. Eren reluctantly joined him.

“If you think you need to love.” Hange said kissing his cheek. “Just be careful ok?” Levi nodded and walked to get his shoes. Hange gave Eren a kiss too telling him to drive safely.

Levi grabbed an umbrella and held it out for both of them while the rain came down in buckets. He was glad he’d taken the offer otherwise he’d have been soaked by the time he got to work, making it even more miserable than he thought it would be tonight. He was quiet on the ride there, and so was Eren. Levi’s anxiety went up the nearer he got as he gave Eren directions. Eren appeared to be at ease but Levi worried what he may be really thinking. He was too scared to ask though so he looked out the window the short drive there. Levi pointed out the building and Eren’s face faltered for a minute.

“That’s the place?” Eren asked looking at the building dubiously. “It looks like it’s going to fall down soon.”

“You expected an illegal whore house to be looking like the Taj Mahal?” Levi asked.

“No, I kinda just expected it to look like a normal business or maybe a warehouse. This place just screams _illegal activity happens here_.” He looked at the small parking lot nearby. “Looks busy. I wasn’t really expecting that either.”

“I don’t expect you to really be ok with this.” Levi said eyes downward to avoid Eren’s gaze.

Eren let out a long sigh then Levi felt himself being pulled toward him. Eren gave him a kiss, biting his lower lip when he was done. “Don’t stress too much about me ok? I told you I’d be alright. Text me when you’re home and if you want a ride don’t be afraid to call ok?”

“It wouldn’t be until late for either.” Levi told him.

“It doesn’t matter. Text or call me anytime.” Eren leaned over and opened his door for him. “Now get out before I decide to just steal you for the night.” He smiled and Levi leaned in for one more kiss. Levi watched him leave dreading the night ahead of him.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All good things must come to an end. At least for a little while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: suggestions of trauma/abuse.

“This is bullshit.” Levi growled staring angrily at the owner who didn’t seem to be cowed nor give two shits about his opinion on the matter.

“Well you’re working less so now I have to send clients who want you away. I’m losing money, and therefore need recompense.”

“You can’t take half of the earnings. You don’t do any of the fucking work but get the reward.” Levi’s fists clenched at his side, thinking about what he went through and now she was going to take more of his money just because he wanted out? He bit the inside of his cheek.

“If you don’t like it so much go ahead and leave.” The woman said turning away from him. “If you go don’t ever come back.”

“Come on, you know that this is crap.”

“I’ll give you three options, my little bird.” She sat on the edge of her desk and poured herself a glass of wine holding up her fingers as she gave the options. 1. You can either come back to work more days, and therefore get more money at your regular earnings mind you. 2. You can accept my current offer and simply deal with it. Or 3. Take some of the harder clients again. I have one in particular that has been rather demanding. Since you’re taking more time off than the others you can heal better in between.” She smiled cruelly. “I suppose the fourth option would be to simply leave altogether.” Levi chewed on his cheek, a habit he’d developed to try to hide his irritation when dealing with clients. All the options did not seem appealing. The owner spoke up again crossing her legs and stoking his face as she searched for his answer. “I’ll even sweeten the pot. Choose option 3 and you’ll only have the one client tonight, and every night you work, but you’ll get 80% of the pay.”

“What do they want?” Levi asked, worried about the type of clientele that would have his boss trying to negotiate his workers to take them.

She shrugged. “I didn’t go into much detail, but he said he wanted someone who could take some pain. But-“She brushed away his hair in an almost motherly manner. “He did also say only a blow job would be necessary likely. Should he want to fuck at the end of the session, he’ll pay more. Come on my sweet bird, I know you can handle what most of the clients dish out. I imagine he’s no worse than any of the ones before.”

“He’s never been here before then?”

“No. He’s new to the area.”

“Will he abide by safe words?”

She gripped his chin and glared coldly at him. “My people don’t use safe words unless they’re topping.” She released it and relented slightly. “If it will make you feel better, I’ll have someone nearby that if they think it’s too much they’ll interfere just like they did with that fool.”

Levi ran his hand through his hair in frustration. He was between a rock and a hard place and he knew it. She was giving him these choices because she needed something, and he was in the position to either take it or leave as she had put it. He had told her he only wanted to do a few nights a week now and she had not seemed pleased. This was the end result. He did like the idea of only one client though. As she pointed out he would have some time to recover before he came back. He finally nodded his agreement and could see her smile contently at his agreeance. “Good. Go ahead and get ready however you need to. I’ll call him and let him know I have someone.” She got up and moved behind her desk. “And darling, I’d recommend prepping yourself just in case. I don’t want another incident like before.”

# \------

Levi had never regretted a decision more in his life. He was walking home sluggishly, barely even recognizing the rain that was pelting him as he went. He clutched onto the envelope of money the owner had handed him after the client had left. He felt like he was going to be sick. He barely could feel his hands, both were still a purplish hue and his wrists were rubbed raw from the rope the client had brought with him. Should anyone see him they would think he was drunk or high. He wished it were either of those things instead of this. He had forgotten his umbrella at the brothel. But it didn’t really matter. The rain felt good on his abused back and shoulders. He wanted to just sit down and sleep, but he willed himself to get home. He fought too long and too hard to get the kids back. They were the only thing he could think about. This was for them. This was how he’d be able to keep them. He cringed thinking about the looks any of them would have if they saw the damage done after tonight. It made the other marks seem like child’s play. He could just picture the look of disgust on Jean’s face. Maybe he’d call child services himself, decide they’re better off in foster care than with him. He couldn’t even think about Eren seeing him like this. It almost brought him to tears imagining Eren’s face, twisted and filled with nothing but revulsion. No, it was better to just not think. He allowed his mind to go blank, to go to it’s safe spot like he used to when he was little. When Kenny would come into his room late in the night.

He walked on autopilot home and was surprised when he realized he’d made it there. Quietly, he opened the door. Hange was sitting on the couch, her head resting on her hand and her eyes closed. The tv was on and a movie was playing. Mikasa was laying beside her. Arms wrapped tightly around the woman. She must have had another nightmare then. He shut the door quietly not wanting to wake Hange but when he turned her eyes were opened and she looked at him in shock. Levi worried about what he might look like. He knew how he felt but this man was more discrete than the last. All of his marks were where clothes could hide them, nothing on his face and neck. His wrists being the only possible thing, but he had made sure to pull his sleeves over them. He shivered as he stood there seemingly unable to move. His mind picturing Hange looking at him in disdain. Telling him he’s a waste of time and abandoning him like so many others had. Telling him he wasn’t worth anyone’s pity. She’d call Eren, tell him to break ties with him. He’d never see him again. He never should see him again.

“Levi?” Hange asked quietly so as not to wake Mikasa. She got up carefully, gently laying the girl down. Levi clenched his eyes shut. Maybe she’d hit him. Maybe she’d take the kids away and call Erwin tonight. He was shaking now; he wasn’t sure if it was the cold or from fear. He flinched when he felt her hand on his face, but soon found himself leaning into it when he realized she wasn’t going to hurt him.

“Where’s your umbrella sweetie?” She asked softly. “You’re home early. Did something happen?”

Levi braved to look at her, instead of disgust or disdain, Hange’s eyes were soft and filled with concern. That was almost worse. “I forgot it.” He said hoarsely. His throat still ached and he realized he hadn’t used it since- ah the blankness of his mind saved him.

“You should have called love.” Levi vaguely remembered Eren telling him to call him if he wanted a ride home.

“I didn’t really think about that either.” Levi admitted and Hange’s eyebrows furrowed in frustration for a moment. “I’m just really tired and need a shower.” He needed to scrub his damn skin off. “You don’t need to stay. Go home and get some sleep. I’ll see you at work in a few hours.”

Hange pursed her lips. He could tell she didn’t believe him one bit. “As long as you’re sure.” She said cautiously, like one would say to a wounded animal. It wasn’t that far off. “I’ll take Mika up to your room while you shower then.” The woman truly was a godsend. He didn’t even want to attempt to pick mika up right now. His shoulders felt like they were going to pop out of his sockets. “Hurry up and get in the shower. I don’t want you catching a cold.”

“Thank you Hange.” Levi walked up the steps slowly. Gripping onto the rail tightly and feeling much older than his young age of 19. If Hange noticed, which she likely did, she didn’t say anything. He pulled the clothes Eren had worn out of the hamper. Normally something like that would disgust him, but his brain needed the comfort of Eren’s smell more than he needed to be extra clean. He shut the bathroom door and stripped as he waited for the water to warm up. He didn’t want to look at the damage done, but felt a kind of morbid curiosity so he turned and looked over his shoulder to look at his back in the mirror.

There were already lots of spots that were black and blue. Others likely would be tomorrow. The largest of them being just below his rib cage. He idly wondered if the rib was broken. He closed his eyes when he practically felt the impact from the blunt object again before his brain hid the memories from him once more. Along with all the bruises harsh welts crisscrossed his back from the man’s thick leather belt. He looked at his side and saw the electrical burn from what he assumed was a taser. He’d never experienced anything like it before and didn’t really care to ever again. He was too short to see what his thighs looked like but imagined they were no better than his back. The mirror clouded with steam from and Levi deemed it safe to jump in the shower. He grabbed his toothbrush on the way in.

The water was almost scalding on his cold wet skin, but he didn’t bother to turn it down, enjoying the way it made his pale skin pink like it could melt away the man’s touch. He normally would never even think of brushing his teeth while he was in the shower but the urge to remove all signs of the man superseded his other thought process once more. He scrubbed his teeth furiously, seeing blood droplets mix with the water below from brushing too hard. He ran the toothbrush across his tounge and began to gag on the toothbrush when he shoved it too far back. Thinking this wasn’t such a bad idea after all, he vacated the shower not caring he was soaking the floor and knelt in front of the toilet forcing himself to gag again until all of the contents in his stomach were now in the toilet. He got back in the shower after flushing and repeated brushing furiously. Finally content, he tossed his toothbrush at the bathroom sink. He ignored the pain from exposing his back to the hard water. He scrubbed his entire body harshly, especially his entrance. While the man had worn a condom, he still felt incredibly unclean. He finally got out of the shower when the water started to chill. He rubbed his skin with the towel, even now he still felt dirty and fought the urge to get back in the shower and start the process again. His back was screaming at him. Realistically he thought someone should look at it and maybe bandage the larger welts, but he wouldn’t let anyone see this. He dressed in the sweatpants and the long sleeve shirt, pulling the larger shirt over his wrists in case anyone was up. He didn’t bother to clean up the bathroom tossing his towel on the wet floor. He’d get it later, right now he just needed sleep. He crawled into his bed. Mikasa was sleeping soundly, her body wrapped around his pillow. He stretched out on his belly, not daring to sleep on his back or sides tonight. He almost cried when he smelled Eren’s scent all over his sheets, never happier he hadn’t done laundry before. He’d never smell it again he thought. Eren would never want to be around him again. He buried his face in the pillow willing himself to sleep for a few short hours.

\---------

Levi cried out when he felt the impact on his back that morning. Mikasa immediately jumped off of him and curled herself into a ball by the wall. She looked at him terrified and in tears.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” She said timidly. Levi could hear his alarm going off and she pointed to it. “You weren’t waking up.”

“It’s ok Mikasa. I just wasn’t expecting it.” He put on a smile for her trying to ease her worries. It hadn’t been her fault. The kids often jumped on him to wake him up. She meant no harm by it. Memories from the night before assaulted him before his mind could work to push them all back again. Hiding them deep in the recesses of his mind. This left him feeling vacant and running on autopilot again. That was better than feeling though. Autopilot he could work with. He pushed himself up, ignoring his protesting shoulders. He wouldn’t allow Mikasa to worry any more about him than she was already. His mind did not even try to turn her against him, knowing Mikasa would always care for him no matter what. That is until she got older and realized what a waste of life he really was. For now though, she’d love him unconditionally, just as he loved all of them. This was for them. He reminded himself and thought of the large sum he had got for his troubles last night. It would cover their shopping trip at least. The other jobs would pay the bills. His body argued the sum wasn’t worth it, but he ignored it. He patted Mikasa’s head doing his best to calm her. Her hair was still in the braids Eren had put in last night, barely disturbed from her sleep. He forced his smile once more and knelt so he was looking at her. “Will you help me get the others up too?”

Mikasa didn’t seem convinced. She nodded at him and climbed off the bed heading toward the boys room first. He went to wake up Sasha. She was a light sleeper so it didn’t take much to get her up and moving. He put clothes out for Mikasa on her bed and she came in shortly after. She didn’t touch him like she usually did and he frowned. She said Jean and Connie were up so he went downstairs to get breakfast ready and pack them lunches. One by one they made their way downstairs, all in various levels of awareness. He put their plates of omelets in front of them receiving thanks of some form from each. Jean’s was more of a grunt. The teen was not a morning person anymore. He grunted again when Levi put a cup of hot tea in front of him just how he liked it. The rest of them got orange juice while he sipped on his own black tea as he made their lunches. He asked each of them what kind of sandwich they wanted today. He threw in snack bags of carrots in each along with a yogurt and a desert of their choice. He noticed a bowl of fruit in the fridge and asked Jean about it.

“Izzy gave it to us yesterday. We went over for lunch. She said got too much for them to eat.” Levi nodded having to remember to thank Isabel and Farlan when he saw them again. Another person feeling pity for him. Still, he was not one to waste good food so he portioned out the remainder in each of their lunches, eating a couple of the grapes that wouldn’t fit before putting the bowl in the sink. The kids brought their dishes as they finished and Jean eyed him curiously when Levi didn’t start to do them, just leaving them where they lay. They all went up to brush their teeth. Levi could hear Connie screaming about the mess in the bathroom and Levi forgot he was going to clean that up this morning. He went into his room, making sure to lock the door in case any of them tried to rush in which was common and dressed quickly for work, leaving the long sleeve under his uniform top. At least the weather was cooler now so it wasn’t so out of place to wear it. He noticed his phone alerted him he had a message. Opening it he saw it was from Eren. He didn’t even bother reading it let alone respond, tucking the phone into his back pocket before joining the others downstairs.

Mikasa didn’t ask to be carried, which he was grateful, but she did allow him to hold her hand. Connie took his other one while Sasha walked with Jean. The teen had his new work clothes slung over his shoulder reminding Levi he’d be going to Sina’s after school today. Levi nodded and made sure the teen had everything he needed. He gave Jean some money from his earnings last night in case he needed anything while he was at work. He took the rest of the money with him so he could deposit it before going to work himself.

The walk to the school was foggy. The rain had ended at some point but it had left behind a dense cloud in its wake. He walked at a slower pace than usual, but no one commented if they noticed. He nodded to Erwin who was standing outside the school greeting students.

“Good morning Principal Smith.” Sasha said respectfully. She grabbed onto Connie’s hand and dragged him with her to their building. Jean gave a small wave before heading to his and Levi continued to hold Mikasa’s until he was standing in front of her building’s doors. She still gripped onto him tightly and he stood there waiting for her to make the move to let go.

“Are you alright Mika?” Levi asked softly. She gave a small nod and let him go, shifting her small backpack on her back. “Ok. After school find Sasha and Connie and wait for me. Remember Jean may not be there.”

“Ok.” He knelt down and gave her a reassuring hug. His leg muscles protested when he stood up. He’d have to remember not to attempt much squatting today. He nodded again at Erwin wishing him a good morning before going to work at the hotel.


	15. Chapter 15

The next few days were a blur. Simply going through the everyday motions. He spoke when spoken too but couldn’t muster much more than that. He saw Eren had messaged him but couldn’t- _wouldn’t_ \- look at them his mind supplanting him saying terrible things to Levi. He was certain those around him noticed the changes, but either he didn’t focus on when they tried to talk to him about it, or they weren’t saying anything yet. He was letting things go at the house. Not doing laundry or dishes, wiping down tables or cleaning the floors when he had time. He always made sure the children ate, there was always meals for them ready when they needed them, but that was the best he could do for now. He wasn’t eating again. He didn’t want to. Only when someone commented on his lack of eating did he attempt to, and even then, it was only a few bites to appease whoever it was. Oftentimes, he’d just throw that up too.

His back didn’t seem to be getting any better. In fact, it felt worse with each passing day. His shoulders had at least stopped hurting as much, his wrists on the other hand didn’t seem to be faring very well either. When asked when he would be working at the brothel again, he froze. He didn’t want to think about that place right now. His mind wouldn’t let him so he would ignore the person who asked or simply say not that day.

He was working at the diner, cleaning the same table for who knows how long when he felt a hand over his. He flinched on instinct and looked to see who had touched him. Teal eyes greeted him, soft and gentle. Not the angered and disgusted ones of his dreams.

“I think it’s clean Levi.” Eren said quietly as though he may spook him. Levi looked down at the table. Then over at the clock. Oh. How long had he been standing there? His shift was almost over. He heard Reeves talking but didn’t make out the words, saw Eren purse his lips and give a small nod.

“Why are you here?” The teal eyes appeared hurt by his question and he saw Eren’s jaw tighten.

“I’m just making sure everything is ready for the open house. Reeves wanted to bump it up to this weekend since you’ll be closing today.”

Oh. They were closing today? He didn’t recall Reeves saying that. “What’s today?” Levi asked and he saw the face soften once more, eyebrows furrow in confusion. “It’s Thursday.” Eren said. Levi tried to remember if he had taken Mikasa to her appointment yesterday. God, he hoped he had. While he was trying to recall he saw Erens lips moving. Why wasn’t Eren mad? Revolted? Why had he thought he would be again? A large hand ran his head over his forehead. “You’re warm Levi. You feel alright? Here. Sit down for a minute. Let me take care of things real quick and I’ll take you home ok?” Levi nodded resting his head on the cool table.

\--------

“Kids been like that for a couple days now.” Reeves said quietly, his arms crossed. I thought maybe it was just over work or maybe he was coming down with something, but even when he lost the kids he didn’t seem as spaced out.”

Eren’s eyes flittered over to where Levi sat. They weren’t far from him, but Levi had barely seemed to comprehend what was going on when someone was talking directly to him. “He hasn’t been talking to anyone not even the kids. Jean’s been a little on edge worried if child services comes to do an inspection when he’s like this.”

“You think its drugs?” Eren’s focus came flying back to Reeves, his hands tightening on his biceps. “It would explain the sudden change, right? I didn’t think the kid would touch the stuff though.”

“I don’t really see him risking it.” Still something was definitely off with Levi. He’d assumed Levi was just regretting their talk Sunday, so he’d tried to give him some space. He was regretting that decision now, worried his inaction might have made things worse. Levi seemed genuinely confused Eren was there. At first, he’d taken it as though Levi didn’t want him there, but quickly realized Levi just didn’t expect him to be. “Does he still need to do anything? I can help with whatever he’s supposed to be doing.”

“Nah. I got it. Just get him home. I want to have a little goodbye with the place anyways.” He opened the cash register and handed Eren an envelope. “Can you give him this? It’s his last paycheck.”

Eren took it from him nodding. “I’ll be by tomorrow to start setting things up. I scheduled the open house for Saturday and Sunday 11-1. If you’re busy you don’t necessarily need to come, but you’re welcome to attend if you want, talk to the potential buyers. You’ll be able to answer their questions better than I can.”

“Yeah sounds good. I’ll see you tomorrow. Let me know how he’s doing ok? I worry about him.”

“I will.” Eren walked away, tucking the envelope in his back pocket. He came up and tapped on the table rather than try to touch Levi based on how he reacted earlier. “Let’s get you home ok?” Eren asked. It took him a few seconds and Eren was about to repeat the question when Levi nodded, standing slowly. Eren watched all of his movements carefully. He didn’t reach out to Levi, even though he’d wanted to, but he wasn’t sure if Levi wanted anyone to know about them yet. If there was a them. His own insecurities had him running through every single interaction every motion on Sunday for the last couple days. Like a loop in his brain. He’d thought maybe he’d done something wrong, said the wrong thing, tried too fast. So he had stayed away thinking that’s what Levi wanted. He ran his hand over his face. They really were bad at this relationship thing.

Jean had told him he’d be working tonight. Eren checked the time and it was close to when the kids would be getting out so rather than head to Levi’s place, he went to the school to pick them up. Levi looked out the window while he drove. Eren tapped Levi’s hand and the man looked at him then the hand for a minute before threading his fingers through Eren’s. “So you’re not mad then?” Levi asked quietly.

“Why would I be mad Levi?” Eren asked glancing over. Levi didn’t answer so he tried something else Jean had told him about. “Are you going into work tonight?”

There it was, just like Jean had said. Levi’s body tightened and the hand in his gripped him tightly. His eyes widening for a moment before the opposite occurred. He noticed too that Levi was sitting upright, not touching the back of the seat. As quickly as he had froze, the opposite occurred and Levi’s body loosened. “No. I don’t think so.” Eren chewed on his bottom lip. So it was that place again.

Well he’d get to the bottom of it. He just needed to be patient. That was very hard for him. He was a man of action which often led him to getting into a lot of trouble. Over the years he had mellowed out some, not getting into fights every minute. He’d taken up kickboxing and wrestling and used those as his avenues to vent when he was upset. He’d been on the swim team in school, finding the routine soothing to him and nothing felt better to him than jumping in the water. When he was floating he felt like it was the closest thing to flying he’d ever feel. He could put his ears below the water and drown out the world around him. Still he was prone to anger at times. Like when he wanted to bash that man’s head through the bathroom wall. He wanted to go burn that shithole down. If Levi could do the work and be safe he could manage to live with it, but clearly it was destroying him, now just as mentally as physically.

He parked the car in the school lot. Levi seemed confused why they were there. Eren cupped his chin and leaned in, inspecting his eyes. He doubted Reeves was right but it may explain the spacing out. Levi’s steel gray eyes were vacant but didn’t appear blown out or red from any drug. Levi’s lips parted from the proximity, but he looked almost afraid so Eren let go without kissing him. It wasn’t just his forehead that felt warm, his skin was clammy. Had his question not made Levi tense so much, he may just think Levi was coming down with something. Eren informed him he was going to find the kids and Levi nodded absently like Eren was talking about the weather.

Unbuckling his belt, he walked to the square between the school buildings. Erwin was outside watching the children leave, making sure everyone was safe. His large eyebrows raised when he saw Eren approach.

“Hey Erwin.” Eren gave a small wave. “Have the kids come out yet?”

“I haven’t seen them. Their teachers didn’t say anything about someone else coming to pick them up.”

Eren jerked his thumb to the car. “Levi’s with me but he’s not feeling well.” While he loved the man like family, he wasn’t about to explain any further than that, still bitter with how Erwin had handled the kids before. “Jean’s going to work tonight so I didn’t want the kids trying to walk home alone.”

“I see” Erwin nodded but looked at Eren skeptically. “How have you been. You look like you haven’t been sleeping well. Have you still been taking your medication?”

Eren rolled his eyes. “Yes dad. I’m taking my meds.” He teased and saw Erwin’s lip quirk up slightly at the nickname. “I’ve just been busy and no I haven’t slept well this week.”

“Well, if you need to talk remember Hange and I are here. So are all of your friends.”

“I know. I know. Relax old man. I’m good.” He saw Connie come out of school and waved at him. Sasha wasn’t far behind, but she was talking to two other girls. Connie waved back and gripped onto Sasha’s hand. Pulling her with him.

“Eren!” They both barreled into him and he smiled giving them both hugs. Erwin excused himself with a wave telling Eren he’d talk to him later. Mikasa slowly walked to the entrance her head down low. Sasha called out to her and she looked up. Her face brightening when she saw Eren. He picked her up and slung her on one of his shoulders causing the young girl to squeal.

“So what you all thinking for dinner? I figured I’d stop some place on the way home. I hate to break it to you but I’m no cook like Levi is.”

“Is Levi going to work?” Sasha asked. Both she and Connie were gripping onto the hand he wasn’t using to hold Mikasa up.

“No. But I thought we’d give him the night off. Let him relax a bit. Sound good?” They both nodded.

“Does that mean you’ll help us with the chores?” Connie asked. Eren looked down at him. “Levi hasn’t been doing them and we’ve been trying to help but there’s some things we don’t know how to do or don’t wanna mess up.”

“Sure. We’ll get the place in tip top shape.” Levi was where he left him, his eyes closed as he leaned into the window. He opened the back door on his side and had the kids climb in. Mikasa sat in the middle an he told Connie to help her with her seatbelt. He’d have to get her a booster seat the next time he was out.

“Levi.” He tapped his hand gently and Levi turned to look at him. “Is there anywhere you want to eat? I’m going to get some take out.” Levi shook his head muttering he wasn’t hungry before he put his head back on the window. He text Hange before he left asking her if she’d come watch the kids. He gave them some options for food and Connie picked where to go. He waited in the drive thru getting the kids to tell him what they wanted. He put a sandwich on Levi’s lap, hoping Levi would take it, but he didn’t seem to notice it was there.

Opening the trunk, he picked up all the book bags. Levi hadn’t moved so he tapped on the window getting a response from him finally. Levi got out and walked obediently behind him bumping into him when Eren stopped moving. He looked at the hand held out to him. “Keys Levi.” Eren said Levi dug through his pants and found them handing them to Eren.

For a minute Eren thought maybe he’d gone into the wrong house when he opened the door. The immaculate floor had footprints on them, and not from kids’ dirty shoes, but from larger ones. The living room looked ok, some blankets thrown about rather than folded and put away, whatever the kids had been working on was laid on the coffee table. The kitchen table still had dishes from this morning on them, the sink was overflowing with dishes and pots and pans from various meals were on the stove and counters. He walked back to the laundry area and saw hampers of clothes by the washer. Opening the washer, he noticed the clothes in it had a musty smell like they hadn’t been dried fast enough.

Connie was beside him when he turned around. “Told you. We’re running out of clothes, but Levi told us not to run it until he showed us how. Jean said he’d wash some in the tub or figure the thing out if Levi didn’t do it.”

“Go and eat and then you can all get your dirty clothes. I’ll get what’s here started.” He put the load that was in the wash through a second cycle to remove the musky smell. He walked to the kitchen. Sasha pushed over some of the dishes at the kitchen table so they could sit with their food. Mikasa handed him their lunchboxes from their bags. Levi was in the kitchen moving stuff around and looking in the fridge.

“What are you doing?” Eren asked. Levi turned to face him.

“Making dinner.” Levi said like it was obvious. Eren grabbed his shoulders and turned him so he was facing the table where the kids were eating.

“I got that covered. There’s a sandwich for you too.” Levi told him again he wasn’t hungry. “If you’re not going to eat go lay down on the couch. Hange will be over in a little while.” Levi moved like a zombie towards the living room massaging where he’d touched. He looked at his hands. He didn’t think he gripped him that hard. Rolling up his sleeves he got started working on the dishes.

Hange came about an hour later. She’d brought some dessert for them to try and ease the kids minds. Eren was still tackling all of the dishes while he waited for the laundry. Connie was standing on a stool next to him drying them.

“Oh my.” Hange said looking around when she came in. Eren had Mikasa wiping down the tables and Sasha was sweeping the floor. It was an improvement since he had come in but Hange still seemed shocked. Eren gave her a look and she gave an imperceptible nod putting the ice cream cake on the table. The kids stopped what they were doing when Hange started to cut up the cake and dish out their slices. She quietly asked about Levi who hadn’t moved since he sent him to the living room. Together they tackled what was left of the dishes and Eren swapped the second load of laundry out for another one. He had put the clean, dry ones in the living room, but Levi hadn’t moved to touch them. Putting a movie on he sat on the floor in front of the couch since Levi was taking up a good portion of it. The kids joined him, and they folded clothes while they watched. Eren gave them the load of towels and washcloths since they were the easiest to fold and it made the kids happy to be doing something. Hange sat next to him and helped him separate the kid’s laundry folding them and putting them in piles for the kids to take to their rooms later. Levi at one point draped his arm around Eren and he rubbed his arm affectionately. When he looked back to see him, Levi scrunched his eyes closed. He picked up his hand and kissed it before continuing with the laundry.

Almost as though he sensed the time, Levi got up and told the kids it was time to get ready for bed around 830. So his zombie like state still had him taking care of the children. Interesting. He watched him as he walked, for once not trying to look at his ass which he normally enjoyed but looking at how hunched over and slow he walked. How he gripped the stairs like he’d fall.

“Hange. Can you stay over tonight? I want to take him out of here. See if that makes a difference.”

“I don’t think he’s up for a date love.” Hange said also looking where he was. “But I’m free tonight. He’s officially off tomorrow too.”

“I love you Hange.” Eren said. She smiled at him. He text Jean to see if he needed a ride home. He didn’t want the teen walking in the dark. Jean said someone from work was going to drop him off. He went upstairs to help with the kids. Sasha was laying with Connie on his bed talking in hushed tones while they waited for Mikasa to get out of the bathroom with Levi. “Is there anything you want specific to be washed? Hange is going to keep working on laundry tonight.”

“But you said Levi wasn’t going to work.” Sasha said confused. “Are we having another sleepover?”

“Not exactly. Levi’s going to come with me. So Hange will be with you in the morning. Levi may be back too. Is that all right with you?” He asked permission from them. He didn’t want them to think he was stealing Levi.

“Will you fix him?” Connie asked and Sasha nodded.

“Just because he’s acting odd doesn’t mean he needs fixed. But I’ll try to get him back to normal for you ok?” They both seemed to approve of this plan. Jean’s going to be back soon so if you need anything have Hange or him text me.”

“Ok. Thank you Eren.” Sasha said jumping up to hug him. Eren left them after wishing them good night going into Levi’s room and packing a small bag for him. He heard the bath water emptying and came out as Levi told one of the others to go ahead and shower. He grabbed Levi’s wrist. Levi flinched again. Eren dropped his hand. He was trying hard not to get upset with Levi not wanting him to touch him. Not until he understood why.

“What do you think about coming with me tonight? He asked quietly. “Hange already said she’d stay and she said you can have off tomorrow to take a break.”

“Where do you want to go?” Levi asked confused. “It’s late.”

“Well we could just drive around for a little bit if you’d prefer, but I was thinking you could come over to my place.”

“Your place? I haven’t been there yet.” Levi didn’t seem to object to the idea but all he was getting was vacant looks. He rubbed the wrist Eren grabbed. “You want me to go with you?” He asked surprised.

“Of course, I do.” He leaned in but didn’t touch Levi hoping he would cross the gap on his own. Emotion was finally visible in his eyes, he seemed sad or scared but it was better than the glassy look. Finally Levi nodded reaching out to grip Eren’s hand. Hand holding seemed like it was acceptable at the moment. He could live with that. He heard Jean clearing his throat and he stepped back smiling at the teen.

“How was work?” He asked Jean shrugged. His face was tinged pink. Eren assumed it was from being worried he stepped in on something.

“It was ok. Still in training so can’t really tell you for sure. Do any of them still need a shower? I feel gross.”

“Sasha just jumped in. Connie still needs to go, but he’d probably let you go first if you ask.” Jean grunted and bypassed them. “If you want anything washed take it down to Hange. Oh, and I have some old clothes in my car for you. I’ll leave them downstairs.”

“Thanks.” Jean said. His eyes looked baggy and he seemed more haggard than usual. Eren wondered how much of the slack he had picked up the last couple days. He’d be sure to do something nice for the teen soon or get him something he wanted. “Hange filled me in on your plan for the night.” He looked at Levi who hadn’t moved or seemed to realize Jean was there. Jean grimaced. “So I guess I’ll see you whenever then.”

“Text or call if you need to.” Eren told him

“Will do. Night.” Jean slammed his door with more force than was necessary. Levi flinched looking where the teen had been.

“Damn moody teens.” Eren muttered going downstairs with Levi in tow. “We’re leaving Hange.”

“Alright sweeties. Have a good night.” Hange was still folding clothes.

Eren led Levi to his car opening his side door for him. Before he got in he opened his trunk and grabbed the box for Jean. He brought it in and set it on the floor near Hange giving her a kiss on her forehead before leaving.

“Take care of our boy, will you?”

“That’s the plan.”

While Eren drove, he tried to think of what to do to get Levi to talk. He thought back to the way Levi had reacted when he asked if he was going to work. It was about the only emotion that Levi had truly shown since he saw him. So rather than go straight home, Eren took a detour. Levi was leaning his head on the window again. His back stiff and looking rather uncomfortable. As Eren neared the brothel, Levi started to react. Eren mentally cursed himself. This wasn’t going to go well for him. In order to get Levi back to normal he was likely sacrificing any chance he had.

“Where are we going?” Levi asked a small amount of panic in his voice. Eren glanced over to see how Levi was reacting. Levi’s hand was gripping the door.

Eren took a chance on Levi’s spaced out reactions all day. “Your boss called you. Said she wanted you to come in tonight.”

“No. No I don’t want to go.” Levi was shaking now, he looked around like a caged animal. “I have enough money for now.” Fearful eyes turned to him. “Please, just let’s go.” Levi reached over and grabbed onto his wrists tightly. “I can’t go back. Not right now.”

Eren never wanted him to go back. The urge to light the place on fire came back as he looked at the building. “Levi.” He said carefully. “Why can’t you go back. What happened? Talk to me please.”

It was like the damn broke. Levi collapsed into him, his hands clutching onto whatever he could of Eren. Eren shifted in his seat. A choked sob came out “The owner, she’s mad I want to work less. She made me a deal. One client and I could go home. Otherwise I’d only get half of what I should.” Eren felt the tears on his shirt, but Levi had grabbed onto his wrists holding them down, so he wasn’t able to comfort him without breaking his grip. “I took the deal, but I should have known better.” His nails dug into Eren.

“What did he do?” Eren asked trying to hold back his anger and his own tears. He knew he didn’t want to know. Levi took another shaky but resigned breath. He grabbed the back of his shirt and lifted it up a couple inches. It was all Eren needed to see to understand. Harsh red lines and black and blue marks had ruined Levi’s back. Eren couldn’t tell in the dark lighting, but the welts looked infected, the skin too pink and raised. He saw red. “I’m going to kill them.” Eren said pulling away from Levi and stepping out of the car. He marched towards the brothel. He was going to beat this owner to a pulp and then find out who the client was. He would enjoy beating him down. Make the person beg for mercy. Arms encircled his waist.

“Please. Please don’t leave me.” Levi begged now sobbing. “Don’t take the kids away from me.” It was enough to halt Eren. Murder would need to come later. Levi needed him now. He put a gentle hand over Levi’s. He pulled him away, but only long enough to turn around and pull Levi’s arms around him again, so they were face to face. He rested on hand on his head, holding him close, the other wavered over Levi’s back. If the marks were lower, they were likely all over. He put his hand on Levi’s arm, rubbing it soothingly as the man cried. His reactions to Eren’s touch were starting to make sense, but Eren needed to see the extent of the damage. He kept whispering to Levi he was sorry, kissing the top of his head.

“I’m not leaving, and I’d never help to take them away from you.” He’d started to fall for the kids almost as hard as he fell for the man in front of them. “Come on. Let’s get you away from this shit hole before someone sees you.” He gently pushed Levi back leading him towards the car but not making Levi let him go. He opened the door for him then pulled on his arms still holding onto him tightly. “I’m not leaving you.” Eren repeated when it didn’t seem like Levi would release him. “I’m taking you home, and I’m going to help you forget all about that night. I just need you to let me go so I can drive love.” He pulled a little bit again and he wasn’t sure how much Levi had heard or understood him. He still seemed so afraid so lost. He leaned in and kissed him hard. He started to feel Levi melt under him. When he was done. Levi had a dazed look. Eren took his opportunity to get to the driver’s seat. Shutting Levi’s door. He glared at the building before he got into his seat again, immediately reaching over and pulling Levi to him. He sped off while he kept telling Levi he was sorry and he wasn’t going anywhere, neither were the kids. He stroked Levi’s hair while he drove. Levi’s tears had stopped, but his breath was still shaky. Eren pulled into his driveway and backed his car into his one car garage. “Levi. We’re here.” He told him and Levi looked around confused. “We’re at my place.” Eren explained. “Come on, lets get you inside.” He reached into the backseat to grab the bag he had made for Levi and got out, walking over to Levi’s side and opening the door for him. The zombie like actions were starting to come back, but now that Eren understood why he just let it be for now. He entwined his hand with Levi’s. Shutting the garage door, he took Levi out the side entrance which led to his enclosed backyard. He pulled Levi along, unlocking the kitchen door and entering. He brought Levi into his bathroom and sat him down on the closed toilet seat. Levi looked around with his vacant stare while Eren started the water on his bath.

Two things had drawn him to this home when he was looking to buy. First had been the pool outside, a smaller heated underground pool that he could continue to use even when the weather didn’t allow for it. The second had been the remodeled bathroom. It had a whirlpool tub and a large adjacent shower. The house had been listed when the bank took it back for a foreclosure. Clearly all their money had gone to these things and not to others as no other room had been updated. He started to run the water and dug through the cabinet searching for what he wanted. He kept various essential oils for when he needed to relax or when his muscles ached. He put several of them into the water along with some of his body wash so it bubbled. He pulled some towels and a first aid kit out of the linen closet just outside the door. He knelt in front of Levi again and rubbed gently at the tear stained cheeks.

“Let me take care of you tonight Levi.” He said softly and brought his hand just under the hem of his shirt. Levi’s eyes flashed and Eren left his hand there. “Can I take this off?”

Levi stiffened, and Eren remained where he was, waiting for him to answer. With that same resigned sigh as before, Levi nodded, his head hung in defeat. Fear etched his features. He reiterated he wasn’t leaving him as he pulled up, tossing the garment on his floor. He inspected him more than just admiring him this time. From here, there didn’t look like there was much damage. His side had an odd mark and the other side had a bruised rib. Eren saw the raw wrists, inflamed and painful looking. He brought each one to his lips individually, kissing both as though it would make the pain go away. Levi watched him do it, his brows furrowed in confusion. Like he wasn’t processing the things around him correctly. He took off Levi’s shoes and socks for him before asking Levi to stand. He found it odd and rather painful that Levi was far less concerned with taking off his pants for him than he was that shirt. Still kneeling, he helped Levi shed the pants and boxers. Eren tossed them over by the shirt and stool leading him to the tub. He held out his arm for Levi to balance and told him to get in. He got another glimpse of his back as he did, along with his thighs. It must have been painful for Levi to sit or sleep with those wounds. When Levi sunk into the water Eren leaned in and gave him a gentle kiss. “Thank you love. How does the water feel?”

“Amazing.” Levi said with a sigh.

“A good temperature then? Not to hot or too cold?” Eren ran his hands through the water to see for himself. Levi shook his head said it was perfect. He put the first aid kit on the ledge.

“Are you getting in?” Levi asked expectantly, looking at Eren’s fully clothed body.

“Do you want me to?”

“Please.” Levi reached for him.

“Sure thing love. Scooch up some.” Eren turned off the water and took off his clothes. He climbed in behind Levi careful not to touch his back as he came down. He kissed Levi’s neck once he was seated then handed Levi a washcloth and his soap. He reached over to grab his shampoo and wet Levi’s hair before putting some on the scalp. He used his fingertips and massaged Levi’s head earning a groan from Levi. “Tilt your head back.” He lifted Levi’s chin and Levi was now looking at him upside down as he rinsed out the soap, making sure to avoid his eyes. Levi hummed as Eren stroked the sensitive points of his neck while he rinsed. After a quick kiss he let his chin go so Levi could lift his neck. He massaged some conditioner in his hair, but left it in for now, letting it sit for a minute. He shifted back as far as he could so he could see Levi’s back. Very gently he brought a hand to the marks. Levi flinched at first but once he realized Eren wasn’t going to cause more harm his body relaxed some.

“Disgusting isn’t it?” Levi asked quietly.

“The person who did it is that’s for sure. But you, you’re still beautiful. He kissed one of the bruises and ran his hand along his sides, careful of the marks he’d seen earlier. “I’m going to try and clean these out ok? Let me know if I’m hurting you too bad.” Levi gave a nod and Eren lathered up his own washcloth, using antibacterial soap rather than his usual body wash. First, he cleansed Levi’s whole back. Kissing the bruises, he could as Levi leaned forward more. While he worked Levi told him the whole story, or what he could recall of it, saying his memory was choppy. Eren understood this. He dealt with the same things after his dad beat him. It didn’t make it easier and it took all of his control not to fly out of the tub and hunt this man down. Not that he could even if he wanted to anyways. Levi said he was blindfolded for most of it and barely remembered what the man looked like, only that he assumed he was a businessman and was from out of town. If Levi started to get too emotional in his story, Eren would stop what he was working on and wrap himself tightly around Levi whispering sweet nothings in his ear or just kissing whatever part of Levi’s body he could until Levi calmed down again enough for him to continue. He rinsed out the conditioner and rubbed Levi’s tense shoulders and neck. He grabbed Levi’s bicep when he saw Levi rubbing his skin furiously. “Hey. It’s clean I promise.” He told him resting his chin on his shoulder.

“Sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry about. I just don’t want you hurting yourself more than you already are. Eren let him go while he cleaned himself up. “You want to stay in here awhile or you ready to get out. We’ve got all night so you can take as long as you need.”

“I’m ready.” Levi looked a lot better already which allowed Eren to relax some. Eren pointed to where he left the towels allowing Levi to get out first so he could brace him if he was still unsteady (not at all so he could also get a nice view.) Eren let the tub empty and stood, reaching for the other towel and shaking his hair through it. He didn’t bother getting dressed, just wrapped the towel around himself once he was dried off.

“I brought you some spare clothes. Let me go get the bag. Leave your shirt off for now though. I’ll put some ointment and bandage you up.” He grabbed the bag from where he left it and tossed Levi his fresh boxers. Levi was now aware enough to catch them which Eren took as a good sign. He left Levi to change and went to his bedroom, putting on a pair of pajama bottoms. He pulled down his sheets and picked up the clothes he had left on the floor taking them down to the basement to wash them. He saw Levi trying to see his back in the mirror. “Levi.” He said getting the man’s attention. “You want anything to eat? You didn’t have anything earlier.”

“No. I’m not hungry.” Levi stopped looking at himself in the mirror his face scrunched up. Eren reached around him to grab the medicine supplies he needed and directed Levi to his bedroom. Levi lied on his stomach his head resting in his arms looking back at Eren when he knelt beside him. “How bad is it really?”

“You want me to take a picture? It would be easier to see than the mirror.” Levi nodded and Eren grabbed his phone. Once he was done, he handed it to Levi while he began to work on the wounds. He was meticulous with their care. Levi silent while he worked. When he was done with his back, he looked at his thighs. The welts were smaller there and not as inflamed. Most of it was the bruising. He had Levi hold out his arms so he could clean and bandage his wrists. “All set.” He said and lied on his side beside him. “You feeling any better now?”

“Mmm.” Levi shifted to his side so he could look at Eren. “Seems like things are a little clearer now. I’ve been on autopilot for a few days.”

“No. Really? I didn’t notice.” Eren said sarcastically and Levi rolled his eyes at him. “You had everyone worried about you. You don’t need to explain it to me though. I know what it’s like to fall down the rabbit hole. He kissed him softly. “I’m just glad you pulled yourself out.” He reached over to grab his remote off the end table. “How bout we just relax and watch a movie. Forget about that place for a while.” He turned onto his back getting comfortable and Levi leaned into his chest, running his hands softly across Eren’s side. Eren hummed his approval asking Levi what he wanted to watch. Levi didn’t have a preference, so he searched Netflix for something he’d seen before. Levi’s breathing had evened out shortly after starting the movie and he saw him sleeping soundly. Eren kissed the top of his forehead and reached for his phone. He sent a message to both Annie and Reiner. _I need a favor._


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluff and lemon chapter

Levi woke hearing his own stomach growling. Eren was still asleep his head rolled off to the side. One arm was bent behind his head, the other over Levi’s arm. Levi looked around the room and found a clock. It was in the early hours of the morning. He tried to get up without waking Eren, but his movements must have alerted the larger man.

“Hey” Eren said sleepily.

“Go back to sleep. I’m just going to look for a snack. It’s too early to be up.”

“Mmm. Ok. Hurry back.” Eren’s eyes closed again letting go of Levi’s bicep. Levi made his way to the kitchen searching for something quick. He remembered Eren said he got a lot of frozen meals. Opening the freezer he pulled one out and popped it in the microwave per the instructions. While he waited, he looked around. The kitchen was small with older appliances and only a two person table which was currently covered in mail and other clutter. Most of the counters had something on them as well. Levi took the food out looking at it dubiously. He found a fork in one of the drawers and sat down. His face scrunched in distaste. How did Eren eat these things? It tasted rubbery and still was cold in some spots. He’d given these to the kids to eat. Now he felt bad. He ate all of it since he was not one to waste food. He could handle eating things he didn’t like when he had to based on his upbringing and he was hungry enough he could manage. He looked through the fridge for something to drink and found a can of pop which he took with him swishing it around to remove the taste completely. Eren was still sleeping when he came back. He grabbed a tissue on the nightstand and put it underneath his can. Although it didn’t look like Eren would mind it touching. Eren’s eyes opened again when he got back on the bed a goofy smile on his face. He made grabby hands for Levi to join him again.

“Dork.” Levi muttered before curling up next to him again. Eren kissed the top of his head.

“If you’re not tired you can put something on to watch.” Eren’s voice was deeper from sleep. He hunted on the bed for the remote and gave it to Levi.

“I don’t want to keep you up.”

“Trust me it won’t bother me. I sleep with it on all the time. I’m still not used to a quiet house honestly.” He yawned loudly turning his head away from Levi. His eyes already closing while Levi searched for something to watch. He hadn’t a clue what to put on. Watching tv was still a rarity to him. Let alone this thing that Eren had. He always just let the children choose. He picked something in Eren’s previously watched list and laid his head back down on Eren’s chest listening to his heartbeat. He’d been so worried about losing this, and yet Eren hadn’t even seemed phased. His only outburst had been against _them_ but never him like he had thought. He shuddered and closed his eyes tightly as though it would help to stop the memories from assaulting him. He felt Eren’s hand stroking his cheek and looked up at him. “You still with me?” He asked

Levi lifted himself so they were eye level and kissed Eren passionately pushing the other man down into his bed. Eren seemed startled at first by the onslaught, but was happy to reciprocate. His hands quickly going to Levi’s hair, running his hands through it and gripping it tightly. Levi pushed his tongue through Eren’s lips entangling their tongues. Eren’s mouth still tasted like the mouthwash he’d used last night.

“Mmph.” Eren said trying to push Levi away slightly. His eyes were dancing, a hint of sadness crossing his features, not matching the rest of his face, flushed cheeks and messed up hair from Levi’s hands. “Levi, as much as I’m enjoying this I don’t think it’s a good idea.” Eren tried to reason with him.

Levi shook his head and straddled the taller man when he gasped. He leaned forward, his head touching Eren’s. His hands tight in his hair. “I just want to forget. For just a little while I want it to be nothing more than a bad dream.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.” Eren’s voice was strained, cracking slightly.

Levi kissed him again hard. “You have no idea what has been running through my head the last couple days. After everything I was afraid you’d do, nothing you’d actually do compares. I trust you.” He trailed kisses down his neck and over his Adam’s apple watching it bob as he swallowed. Levi could practically see the wheels turning while Eren thought. He didn’t want either of them to think at the moment. He bit Eren’s neck and Eren gripped onto his arms moaning, tilting his head so Levi had better access. Levi was more than willing to oblige. Soothing the bite with tender licks and kisses. He traveled down farther, his hands running across the smooth toned chest underneath him. He sucked on Eren’s collarbone and Eren’s hips thrusted upward on instinct. Levi looked up to see Eren’s eyes wide, worried he’d hurt him. Levi simply hummed his approval and shifted so their members met, both becoming hard from their foreplay.

“Levi.” Eren’s voice was tight, his teeth ground together. “You’re driving me nuts here.”

“That’s the idea.” Levi’s kisses trailed down to a nipple. He made eye contact with him before flicking his tongue over the nub.

“Fuck.” Eren’s hands went to Levi’s sides. He gripped him tightly but was still careful where he placed his hands.

“Seems someone else is sensitive.” Levi teased as he sucked on the nipple feeling it harden in his mouth. He felt a small hole on each side while his tongue searched. “Were your nipples pierced too?”

“Lets just assume I had all the rebellious piercings.” Eren said tightly.

Levi hummed and moved over to the other nipple giving it the same attention, holding back a moan of his own when Eren bucked up again.

“Ugh you evil vixen. I’m trying to be good here.” Eren’s hands went back up to Levi’s hair.

“You’ve been taking care of me. It’s only fair I return the favor.” Levi’s face faltered and he tried to hide it from Eren, kissing along his v line. He could see Eren’s stomach rise and fall from his heavy breathing. He ran his hands along all Eren’s chest. Sometimes scraping his nails just enough to get a reaction. Levi brought his hand over Eren’s crotch looking up for permission. Eren was biting his lip looking at Levi with frustration. His head rolling back when Levi rubbed his very hard dick through his pants. Levi could see the small stain caused by his precum. “Tell me if you want me to stop.” Levi said bringing his hands in Eren’s waistband.

“I want to, trust me.” He gestured down to his dick as proof. “I just am still worried about you.”

“Do you plan on hurting me?” Levi asked shifting back up so he could kiss Eren.

“God no. Never intentionally.”

“Will you let me be the one leading?” He kissed Eren’s chin which was currently clenched. “It won’t be anything like it that way. Eren I want this too. It’s ok.”

Eren gave a small nod of consent. Pulling Levi close and kissing him. “If you want to stop just do it, no matter what ok? You won’t hurt my feelings. You can take this at your pace.” Levi couldn’t help but smile at this man. In such little time he had done so much, given so much. Levi wanted, needed to reciprocate. He wanted the memories to fade and be filled with this. He kissed Eren hungrily, removing all space between their bodies. He saw the struggle Eren had with where to put his hands. Choosing to grip the sheets below than risk hurting Levi more.

“You truly are amazing.” Levi said biting Eren’s earlobe. He grabbed under Eren’s waistband once more and started to pull them down motioning for Eren to lift his hips up so he could take them off completely, shedding his own bottoms before returning to where he was. Eren’s eyes glowed in the dark room, hungrily staring at Levi’s cock. Levi brought their members together and started stoking both, making sure not to pull to hard on the piercing. Eren’s back arched off the bed releasing a long low moan.

Levi let go hearing a small whimper from Eren when he released them. It wasn’t long until he had Eren crying out once more, taking all of his cock in his mouth in one shot. He teased his cock, licking the head and all around his piercing, scraping his teeth before releasing him once more with a pop of his lips. He licked them tasting the precum. He sucked on each of his balls and gently stroked the perineum which caused Eren to jump.

“What the hell was that?” Eren asked flopping back on the bed panting.

“You’ve never had someone do that before?” Levi asked looking up in confusion. It was such a simple thing and brought pleasure your partner.

“Yeah that would be a no.”

“Well that’s disappointing. He smiled mischievously at Eren. “Then you also likely have never experienced this.” Levi licked from the balls through the perineum to his entrance. He gripped Eren’s thighs tightly in preparation for Eren’s reaction. He was not disappointed. Eren howled his hands gripping the sheets and likely leaving crescent prints in his palms.

“Holy hell.” Eren’s cock was twitching and it was such a sight for Levi. He had a very nice view from where he was. He continued to lap around the little bud before starting to put his tongue into the tight hole.

Eren’s words were meaningless as Levi brought more and more of his tongue in. He reached up to find Eren’s cock stoking it as Eren’s moans raised an octave. He stopped for a second long enough to coat his fingers with his saliva. Inserting the first one slowly while watching Eren’s reaction. When he was no longer tensing, he inserted another and began to lick the head of his cock, teasing the sensitive flesh underneath. He scissored his fingers stretching Eren out while also searching. He saw Eren’s eyes begin to roll back into his head and his muscles clench around his fingers when he found his prostate. Humming as he took more of Eren in his mouth. He loved to hear the sounds Eren was making for him and he wanted to hear more.

“Levi. Stop.” Eren panted. Levi looked up and the flushed face and heavy lidded eyes suggested he very much didn’t want to stop. He raised his eyebrows but released his dick with a pop and pulling his fingers out.

“Am I hurting you? It didn’t seem like you weren’t enjoying it.”

“Just-give me a second. I don’t want to cum just yet.” Eren said breathing heavily. “Fuck me.” He said the phrase as a statement not a command but Levi smiled at him nonetheless. Eren seemed to realize his mess up in choice of phrasing.

“That can be arranged.” Levi told him. He kissed Eren’s knee that was bent beside him. Reaching under it like Eren had for him. It didn’t seem to effect him though or he was too out of it to really notice at the moment. “Would you let me fuck you?” He asked almost pleading. He originally hadn’t intended for it to go this far, but he was also not one to waste an opportunity. He watched Eren’s eyes widen and they looked at each other for a moment, Levi looking for any trepidation and Eren determining if Levi was still alright. Eren turned his body toward his nightstand pulling out a bottle and a condom tossing both to Levi. Levi was elated. He hadn’t expected the answer to be yes, not with the way Eren was treating him like a piece of glass that may break. He may be right in the long run, he likely would break again, but not now, and certainly not from this. Levi opened the wrapper with this teeth and rolled the condom on. Eren watched all of his moves with rapt attention. He lubed up the condom heavily making sure he wouldn’t hurt Eren. Eren hissed when he first started to push in and Levi was slow moving. He began stroking his cock again while he entered him and flicked one of his nipples with his tongue. Groaning as he felt Eren’s tight walls around him. Once he was fully seated he didn’t move, waiting for Eren to adjust to him or to motion he was ready. He fought against his own body’s desires to just fuck Eren into the mattress. Another time. Eren shifted under him and Levi took that as the ok. He leaned over him and started a slow steady pace pulling Eren to him so he could kiss him forgetting for a moment where his mouth had just been. If Eren minded, he didn’t show it, his tongue tangling with Levi’s, their moans muffled by each other’s mouths. Eren started to move faster under him, his hands finally leaving the sheets and grabbing tightly on Levi’s ass. He tilted up causing both to groan when Levi hit his prostate.

Levi wasn’t used to sensations like this. This was the first time he could recall actually enjoying sex. He fucked people often sure, but it was truly just the motions. He knew that and now he truly understood it. He hid his face in the crook of Eren’s neck. He didn’t want Eren to misinterpret his emotions right now. He felt the familiar tightening and thrust hard hitting Eren’s prostate relentlessly.

“Levi” Eren begged and Levi brought his lips to Eren’s. He felt Eren come first on both their chests. He wasn’t far behind. Biting Eren’s lip and gripping his face he came inside Eren. He collapsed on the taller man, his whole body feeling limp. He panted into Eren’s neck. Eren soothingly rubbed his neck and ran a hand through his hair also trying to breath normally. Levi pulled out and Eren released a small adorable whimper. They laid there for awhile, Levi lost track of the time, his eyes growing heavy.

“Levi love, we need to clean up first.” Eren started pecking Levi with kisses on his face. Levi grunted responding slowly to Eren’s request. He got up and rolled the condom off tying it and throwing it in the trash. Eren was already making his way to the bathroom, albeit slowly. They both cleaned up quickly and lied back down on the bed. Levi once again lying on Eren’s chest. The sky was beginning to lighten.

“Did Hange call me off today?”

“Mmhmm. She said to relax today. She’d also get the kids ready for school. “I’d like to take them if it’s alright with you. I know I’ve been around them the last few days but I feel like I haven’t seen them in ages.”

“Of course I’ll take you. I only have to go to the diner for a few hours today get ready for the open house tomorrow. I think the kids will be happy to see you’re starting to be more like you. They were pretty worried. We all were.” Eren kissed the top of his head “We keep trying to tell you you’re not alone anymore.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I’m still not used to it. I could get used to his though.” He tightened his grip on Eren and snuggled into him with a heavy yawn.

“I could too. Get some more sleep. I’ll make sure we’re up in time to get the kids off to school.”

\---------

Eren got Levi home before the kids left in the morning as promised. They had been elated to see him acting more normal. Jean and Hange still seemed skeptical but were also happy with he small transformation. Eren had left saying he’d be back after he was done at the diner. Hange had also left for the day when Levi showed up. He was able to listen to each of the children’s concerns on his recent actions. He promised them it wouldn’t happen again and offered to take them to the park after school that day. Jean said he was working so Levi would need to be sure he left some food for the teen. Once he got everyone to school, he started to clean up the mess in his house. Ashamed he had let it get this way in his funk. Hange had told him she had caught up his laundry last night and put it all away, to which he was grateful. The rest of the rooms he swept and mopped the floor and cleaned all of the surfaces. His body ached but in a good way while he admired his home. He heard a knocking and hurried to answer.

While he had just seen Eren this morning, his heart jumped a little seeing the taller man. He couldn’t seem to get enough of him, which was still an odd sensation to him. Eren was holding his laptop in his hand and take out food in the other.

“Hungry?” Eren asked as he walked in.

“I could have made something for lunch.” Levi said taking some of the things from Eren.

“Reeves had a few more ingredients he wanted to get rid of so he made these while we were there today. He says hi. Oh and I left your last paycheck in your room last night. I don’t know if you noticed it or not.”

“I saw it while I was cleaning. I couldn’t recall how it got there.”

They sat on the couch together while Eren got his laptop running and ate the food he brought. Levi grazed on it as well. Hange had made him eat breakfast this morning so he wasn’t all that hungry, his body having become accustomed to not eating again. He didn’t want to push it and end up making himself sick.

“Ok. Here you go. The application for the first GED course. Once you finish it you can enroll in the next one.”

“I’m still not sure I’ll make it through these classes, but it’s better than always wanting to do them.”

“We’ll get you through don’t you worry. I survived Erwin Smith as my teacher I can handle a GED course.” Levi laughed. Once he was complete, he had Eren look it over to make sure he’d done it correctly. With a small nod, Eren hit the submit button.

“Says they’ll be in touch in a couple days.” Eren said showing him the screen.

“Would I be able to look for some jobs too?” Eren nodded and brought him to a new website so Levi could search for what he wanted. Eren gave him some pointers and once Levi was searching he lied down, his head in Levi’s Lap. Levi brought the laptop to the arm of the couch so he was out of the way. Running a hair through Eren’s hair while he scrolled.

“Tired?” Levi asked.

“Mmm. Someone kept me up all night.” Eren said smiling.

“Didn’t seem to mind staying up at the time.” Levi teased reaching down to kiss him.

“Nope. It was worth the sleep deprivation.” He rolled so he was looking up at Levi. “What kind of job you looking for?”

“Anything that will pay enough so I won’t need to go back again.” He typed in the area nearby. “Even if I need to get 2 jobs. I’m just not sure if I can keep it up for 6 months like my original exit plan.” He felt Eren tense up. He looked down but by then Eren had managed to hide whatever he was feeling.

“Could talk to the owner of the thrift shop. She seemed to like you, but I doubt it would pay much. Cooks don’t get as much money as waiters do at restaurants, and you’ll have to be 21 to work as a bartender.”

“I’d like to do something with kids some day I think. Be there for kids like us and like the others. I don’t have a clue how I’d do it though.”

“You should talk to Mike. He’d be able to help steer you in the right path. He’ll be over my place next week for Hange’s birthday party. Unfortunately, that won’t help you with anything now.”

“Hange’s birthday is coming up?”

“Mmmhmm. She didn’t say anything? Normally she’s such a child when it comes to her birthdays. Very demanding. Probably slipped her mind or she just assumed you already knew somehow. You’re welcome to come. So can the kids, although I would recommend they leave or at least stay inside once it gets dark. My friends always use Hange’s party as an excuse to come over. Things can get a little out of hand.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. What would I get her?”

“I wouldn’t worry about that. Unless you can find some way to wrap Erwin up as a present. While she loves the party she could care less about presents. She’ll honestly just be happy you came. Find anything good yet?” Levi shook his head. “How do you like cleaning at the hotel?”

“I don’t mind it, although I had no idea how gross people could be sometimes. But it’s mostly calming to me now. I kind of went a little extra OCD at home at first.”

“Try Trost cleaning services see if anything pops up.” Levi pulled his hand away from Eren’s hair so he could type.

“Looks like they have a couple positions open. Says flexible hours too.”

“Yeah. They’re the cleaning company we use. They do all sorts of other jobs too. I know the one girl says it pays well and you get tips. They also work in teams and provide transportation, so you not having a car wouldn’t be as big of an issue as other places. Wouldn’t hurt to get your license though, just in case you’d need to drive. I can teach you. We can have Jean get his permit too and you two can learn together.”

“I’m sure he’d love that.” Levi said smiling. “It’s wouldn’t hurt I guess, even if I can’t afford a car right now. “You sure you don’t mind? Seems like you’re always needing to do stuff to help.”

Eren reached up and gently smacked his face. “No I don’t mind. Quit worrying about it. I like to help.”

“Well, you ever get sick of it just let me know. I’m going to apply for this one. Can we also go to the thrift shop and talk to the owner there? That wasn’t a bad idea either.”

“Sure. We can go to the mall too, see if anywhere in there is hiring. I’ll talk to the girls at the cleaning place too and put in the good word for you.”

Levi put the laptop on the end table and leaned down so he could kiss Eren. He still wasn’t used to the sensation, but now practically craved kisses from him. “You are amazing.” He repeated his statement from last night. Eren’s eyes closed and let a soft sigh escape as he reached an arm around Levi’s neck. The position was uncomfortable but Levi wasn’t moving for anything. Eren was the one who ended the kiss letting go of Levi’s neck, his pupils dilated when he opened his eyes again.

“Well if that’s how I get rewarded for being amazing as you say, then I’m going to just spoil the hell out of you.” Eren said with a smile. Levi smiled back resuming his work and his hand resuming playing with Eren’s hair. He had Eren sit up and check everything again after he was complete, not confident enough to submit it on his own. Eren gave his approval and submitted it for him. Levi took the laptop off Eren’s lap and straddled his hips. Eren’s shocked face would never get old to him.

“What’s this now?” Eren asked, still careful where he put his hands so he didn’t hurt Levi.

Levi began kissing his neck “Thought I’d keep rewarding you. Do you want me to stop?”

“Fuck no.” Eren’s head fell back onto the couch cushions allowing Levi to do as he pleased. Levi kissed everywhere that was available to him, his neck, the parts of his collar bone that weren’t covered by his shirt, his chin, his lips, his ears. Eren’s hands rubbed his ass and pulled him closer to him grinding into him as Levi continued his ministrations. Eren reached up and pulled Levi’s hair forcing him back so he could do the same to him, leaving small marks on Levi’s pale skin. Levi closed his eyes, relishing the sensation of Eren’s lips all over him. He brought them together for a deep kiss both panting afterwards.

“As much as I’d love to continue, if you want to go before we pick up the kids, we’ll have to go now. I want to get Mikasa a booster seat while we’re out too.”

“Rain check then?” Levi asked with one last kiss.

“Definitely.”

\--------

Levi and Eren had picked up the kids and gone to the park. Nothing came of their job search yet, but Eren was hopeful. He saw the wheels turning in Levi’s head and had told him to be patient. That it wasn’t uncommon to wait awhile to hear from someone for a job. Now they sat away from the kids as they played on the playground, Levi excusing himself to go to the restroom while Eren stayed behind.

He saw Mikasa looking in the bushes first, then Connie joined her, followed by Sasha, Connie smothering Sasha with the palm of his hand so she wouldn’t make any noise. Eren was curious as to what got their attention and crept up them quietly.

“Maybe we could try and hide it.” Sasha was whispering.

“How are we going to hide that?” Connie exclaimed pointing. “Levi will never allow it.”

“Never allow what?” Eren asked Connie and Sasha jumped but Mikasa seemed unperturbed. She was too focused on the small thing in her hands. She turned and held it out to him. It was a tiny kitten, barely old enough to be on its own if that.

“Mika did you move this?’ Eren asked, looking around for signs of any others. She shook her head profusely, gently stroking the squealing kitten trying to calm it down.

“It’s all alone Eren.” Sasha said grabbing the hem of his shirt.

“It doesn’t look good.” Eren said taking the small kitten from Mikasa’s hand and holding it up. “It’s possible the mother abandoned it.”

“What! Why would she do that?” Sasha cried. Eren wished he could kick himself.

“Well sometimes with animals if the mom is worried about the safety of all the litter, they’ll abandon the runt.” He wasn’t about to tell them sometimes they ate them. “It might have gotten separated too.”

“Eren we need to give it a family.” Sasha was very insistent. “Like Levi gave us a family.”

“Uh. I don’t know how Levi would feel about a cat or if you’d even be allowed to have one at your place.” He couldn’t look at their crestfallen faces without caving. Her sentiment about family hit home with him as well. “How about this, why don’t I keep it at my place and you can come visit it whenever.”

“Really? You’d give it a home?”

“Yeah sure. Hadn’t really expected to get a pet, especially not a cat, but we’ll give it a shot. We’ll need to take it to the vet and see if it’s healthy enough or not though. We don’t want it suffering if there really is something wrong.” All three children hugged around him while he held a squealing kitten in his palms. “Hey calm down it’s not all that big of a deal.”

“We’ll still help you with it when we can.” Sasha insisted her eyes wide with excitement.

“And get it lots of toys to play with so it doesn’t bother you.”

“Will a vet be open now to get it looked at?”

Eren nodded. “There’s a walk in clinic at the pet store.” He handed the kitten back to Mikasa. “Be careful how you hold it Mika.”

“Kay.” Mikasa cradled it in her arms. Eren met up with Levi as he was walking back.

“What are they all crowded around?”

“Mika found a kitten. I got suckered in by their big eyes. Now I guess I own a cat.”

Levi looked over at the excited children. “You want me to be the bad guy and tell them no?”

“Nah. I’m ok with it. Never owned a pet before. Besides, it’s one of the few things that seems to make Mika light up. I’m going to take it to the pet store get it checked out. You want to come along or you want me to drop you and the kids off first?”

“I’ll go with you. You’re offering to take it to make the kids happy so whatever I can do to help.” Levi looked around before grabbing Eren’s hand then gave him a quick kiss. “Did I mention you were amazing?”

“Mmm you may have said something like that.” Eren smiled.

Levi motioned for the kids to join them. “Come on rugrats. We’re off to the pet store.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suggestions for the kittens name anyone? Put them in the comments.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hange's birthday party.

Eren hated parties, especially when he had to host them. His friends would always crash Hange’s birthday party every year, and he expected this year to be no different. He hated all the work that went into it, trying to clean up his home and make sure he had enough, not only for the invited guests, but the ones who would eventually show up. He wouldn’t mind it so much if they didn’t get so rowdy. Something always ended up broken, and someone inevitably was naked somehow by the end of the night.

The black kitten he’d inherited was always underfoot as he walked. He still wasn’t used to the small creature, and it never left him alone. It had been about a week since he had adopted the little guy. It had been given a clean bill of health after the clinic visit. Levi had tried to pay for everything for it since Eren was keeping it for the kids. Eren told him to keep his money. When Levi managed to pay, Eren had snuck money back into his pocket, reversing some of his thieving skills. He wasn’t sure if Levi had noticed. While he’d seen him since then, they were short interactions. Levi’s wounds had managed to heal quite nicely now that Eren was keeping an eye on them. While he still felt murderous Levi seemed to bounce back, although his anxiety seemed to build as each day passed and he didn’t hear from anyone about a job.

After the fifth time almost tripping on him today, he put the kitten in his bedroom and shut the door, promising to let him out in a little while. He rounded the corner and was surprised to see Armin in his kitchen.

“Hey, I let myself in.” Armin said with a smile. “Figured you could use some help since today’s the big party.”

Eren smiled and gave his oldest friend a hug. It felt like ages since he’d been able to hang out with Armin. “Thanks.”

“No problem, I figured since we raid the party every year, might as well be proactive.” Armin rubbed his hands together looking around. “What you want me to do?”

“You want living room or kitchen?”

“I’ll take living room.” Armin went into his closet, knowing the house as well as Eren did. “Annie said she and Reiner will be coming over once their shift is done.”

“Nice. I’ll leave the bar to Reiner then.”

“I don’t know. He’s likely to start drinking from it if you do that. Both of them have been working crazy overtime since they started to overhaul the police force. They managed to get the rest of today and tomorrow off, and I know they are planning on making the most of it.”

“So, in other words, be prepared for naked Reiner jumping in my pool again?” Eren asked as he ran the water for the dishes.

“Pretty much.” Armin went back to work on the living room while Eren cleaned up the kitchen, putting all of the random things away that were on his table and going through his mail so he could toss a good portion of it while he waited for the dishes to soak.

“Eren love!” Hange yelled from outside. Eren looked up surprised she was already here. “I brought troops to help clean up.”

“Hange, the point of a birthday party is to not be involved in it.” Eren said as he opened the door for Jean who was carrying a bunch of supplies. “You’re also not supposed to buy things for your own party.”

“Oh, I went to get them, but Erwin paid for it.” Hange smiled. “He usually lets me buy what I want so I’m happy.”

“So, you got the privilege of being pack mule huh?” He asked Jean.

“Remind me to be more careful answering the door.” Jean panted. Eren saw all the kids had something, although Mikasa seemed to be on the hunt and almost ran into his stool while she looked around.

“The cats in my bedroom down the hall Mika.” Eren said taking her stuff from her. He noticed she was carrying blankets and pillows, so were Sasha and Connie. He raised an eyebrow at Hange.

“They’re getting the spare room love. You know none of us will be able to take them home later. You don’t mind do you?” Hange batted her eyes at him.

“I hope you don’t think that really works on a gay guy.” Eren laughed. He pointed to the other door down the hall. “Spare room is there guys. You can put all of your stuff in there for now. I’ll just move the air mattresses out if any of the crazy adults end up staying.”

“What kind of parties do you have Jaegar?” Jean asked as he looked around.

“It’s not his fault. Eren just ends up hosting since he’s the one with the most property. Not as much fun having a party in small apartments.” Armin said joining them in the kitchen. “I’m Armin one of Eren’s friends. Hey Hange. Happy birthday.”

“Thanks dear. Decided to join cleaning duty?”

“Didn’t think it’s fair Eren does it all alone.”

The kids all introduced themselves, besides Mikasa who had made a beeline for Eren’s bedroom calling for the kitten as she walked. Hange started barking out orders as to who was doing what as she pulled Eren outside telling him he’ll be cleaning there.

“Where’s Levi? He didn’t come with you?”

“Working at the motel. Moblit is bringing him later. Erwin’s supposed to be bringing the food soon. Looks like you might as well start grilling once he gets here.”

Slowly people began to trickle in, some pitching in to help get ready, and others who decided to start the party early. Reiner and his boyfriend Bert were out back drinking while they threw more wood on the bonfire Eren had already prepared. Annie had gone inside to help Armin after giving Eren a hug and telling him she missed her sparring partner. Eren had also turned up the heat in his pool early that morning in preparation. Erwin and Mike arrived carrying a cooler full of meat and Eren lit up the grill. Hange flittered about, wearing a birthday crown she got from who knows where. Jean came and sat by the grill, watching Mike warily. He was currently skewering the vegetables and meat for Eren while he grilled. Eren tried to ease his mind but understood why he might be concerned since Jean said Mike was the one who took them to the foster home. Mike’s wife Nanaba and Hange had joined Erwin and Mike sitting at the bench in the yard chatting.

Eren heard the sound of a car door slamming then the lock beep. Moblit gave a wave and started to head toward the table with Hange, stopping on the way to pick up a beer from one of the coolers. Levi wasn’t far behind carrying a backpack slung over one shoulder. He looked around, first seeing the younger kids in the yard, then seeing Jean and Eren together. He made his way over to the latter and Eren smiled at him.

“How was work?”

“Ok. Moblit was showing me some of the front desk stuff once I finished the rooms so I could maybe pick up extra shifts.” He looked at the food on the grill. “I thought you said you couldn’t cook?”

“Grilling is the exception.” Eren said as he flipped one of the steaks.

“He’s really the only one we trust to do it after Reiner almost burnt the house when he tried.” Annie said coming out of the house holding Armin’s hand. “You’re looking much better than the last time I saw you Levi.”

“Yeah. Thanks for that by the way. I was kind of out of it that day to say thanks then.”

“A friend of Eren’s is a friend of ours.” Armin said with a big smile. “Any time you need something, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Levi!” Mikasa hurried over and gave her cousin a hug.

“You guys having fun?” Levi asked Mikasa nodded with a smile. “Where’s your little friend at?”

Mikasa pointed. Sasha was currently using one of the cat toys to get the kitten to pounce.

“You should take him inside soon. Reiner will be lighting the bonfire in a little bit.” Eren looked in the yard. “Annie, can you tell them there’s enough wood on the damn thing? I don’t want the fire department called again.”

“I swear he needs a baby sitter. Clearly Bert can’t be trusted to do it.”

Mikasa went to get the kitten Sasha following until she saw the food. Armin grabbed the plates for the while Eren put them on based on the doneness of the meat. He had done steaks and burgers first and opened up a package of hot dogs and had Levi bring him the chicken he’d been marinating. People started making it over and grabbed their food. Levi took the kids to the patio table after they had taken the cat back inside. Jean joined them. Hange gave Levi a hug and Eren noticed Levi didn’t seem to be flinching any more when someone touched his back. He took that as a good sign.

Everyone chatted while they ate, getting to know one another. Eren heard the peals of laughter coming from Levi as one of his friends were telling him a story, likely about him from the looks the rest of them were giving him. Eren regretted leaving him alone with any one of his friends for a second. Still, maybe it was worth being the brunt of a joke to see Levi smile and laugh so easily. He turned off the grill and grabbed his own plate shoving a chair between Armin and Levi. Armin looked at him with too broad of a smile to be innocent. All in all, the party was rather tame since earlier years. No one had been tossed in or fallen in the pool yet, but the night was still young, and from the increase in laughter and overall voices, Eren could tell it was going to get worse. Levi seemed to sense it as well and had the kids go inside. Jean the only one who stayed.

“They seem like good kids. Better than we were that age.” Armin noted as Levi went inside. He nudged Eren. “They seem to like you a lot.”

“Of course they do. He’s got the same mental capacity as them.” Bert said and Jean snorted.

“Says the guy dating the biggest man-child at the table.” Eren countered.

“You dated him first.” Bert threw back and Jean looked between the two of them. Reiner hit Bert on the top of the head.

“Idiot.”

“You two dated?”

Eren tipped his chair back. “A long time ago. It’s old news.”

“They were volatile idiots. Everything ended up in a fight with them.” Annie muttered taking a bite to eat.

“Then the make up sex.” Armin shivered. “I have seen and heard way too many things about my friends.”

Reiner and Eren blushed looking away from one another. “It wasn’t that bad.” Reiner tried to say.

“Trust me, it was that bad. Although you and Bert aren’t much better.” Annie countered

“And we see way more of it now.” Armin chimed in.

“How bout we drop the sex life subjects huh? The poor kid looks like he’s going to pass out.” Reiner noted looking over at Jean. Jean visibly relaxed when the topic was finally changed.

“Eren!” Hange yelled over from the other table. “You have stuff for s’mores yes?”

“Of course. I take it you want the bonfire up then?”

“Ooh I got it.” Reiner said jumping up. Bert went to grab him. But Reiner was already trotting over to the pile of wood. He pulled a thing of matches out of his back pocket and lit one, tossing it to the pile. A loud whoosh filled the air.

\-----

“For fucks sake Reiner!” Eren said slamming his hands on the table. “Why the fuck did you put gas on it you overgrown oaf.”

“Oh boy. Here comes round one.” Armin noted taking a sip of his beer.

“What? I made fire!” Reiner said laughing. Bert put his head in his hands, shaking his head at his boyfriends idiocy.

“Burn down someone else’s damn yard dipshit!” Eren yelled making his way to Reiner his hands clenched.

“Annie, you taking care of this?” Bert asked looking back at the two men. Reiner’s demeanor had changed when Eren came toward him and now the two were yelling at eachother calling eachother names.

“I’ll wait. Let Eren get a few hits in. Reiner deserves it anyways. I’m tired of dealing with his crazy ass every day.”

Reiner ducked down and rammed into Eren pushing him back a few steps. Levi got up, but Armin grabbed his arm. “This happens every time. It’s fine. Eren can take care of himself trust me.” He pointed to the other table where everyone had turned but not one had moved yet. “Erwin would be the first to step in if he thought there was trouble.”

“Come on Eren! You stupid slacker! You need to spend more time in the gym!” Annie jumped up yelling at Eren. Eren swung his leg under Reiner and tackled him to the ground. “That’s my boy!”

“Annie don’t encourage them.” Bert begged now turning to look while the two rolled around in the grass. Reiner managed to get on top, but Eren’s legs were gripped around him tightly. Reiner tried to punch him but Eren dodged it, grabbing onto the arm and straightening it putting strain on his joint. His heel digging into the kneecap of his left leg. Reiner pushed him into the ground, putting all of his weight on him, an elbow over Eren’s throat. Eren changed positions and tossed the larger man off him, jumping up quickly. Stance at the ready if Reiner decided to rush him again.

Reiner didn’t get a chance, Annie stepped between the two of them and when Reiner rushed, he ran into her instead, she used the momentum to toss him, Reiner landing in the pool behind them.

\------

“Cool down dipshit.” Annie said looking down at Reiner when he came up for air. She pushed Eren back towards the table. “Your poor boy’s looking all nervous.” Annie said quietly. Eren looked away from Reiner and over to Levi. Armin’s hand still gently on him.

“Ooops.” Eren said rubbing the back of his neck.

“Oops is right.” Eren felt a wet arm around his waist and Annie screamed as both of them were thrown into the water. Eren came up first Annie, not far behind, her eyes murderous at the now laughing soaking wet blonde.

“I’m gonna kill him!” Annie started to swim after Reiner while Eren stayed in the water, the sloshing of the disturbed water calming him down enough that he let Annie deal with Reiner now. He swam over to the edge and pulled himself out. He didn’t need to look and see that Annie had now taken down the larger man, she could hear her telling him to tap out. He grinned as he grabbed the back of his shirt ripping the wet garment off and shaking his hair out. He made his way to the pile of towels he kept out here when there were parties for this very reason. Throwing one around his neck he grabbed two others, tossing one at the now panting Reiner on the ground and the victorious Annie standing over him. Eren fist bumped Annie before holding his hand out for Reiner to take.

“You good now?” Eren asked lifting the larger man up. His own head clearer after the scuffle. Reiner grunted at him and made his way back to his car. All his friends typically had a spare set of clothes with them in case something like this happened. Eren wiped himself down tossing his shoes off by the door before going in to change. The kids looked up at him in confusion when he walked passed the living room soaked. “Hey guys.”

“What happened Eren?”

“Fell in the pool.” Eren said going into his bedroom. He put on his swim trunks and then a pair of sweatpants over them, figuring he’d end up back in the water sometime. He pulled one of his long sleeves out of his closet and put it on as he headed back outside again, passing Reiner and Annie as they walked in with their clothes to change.

“Did everyone fall in the pool?” Sasha asked, her head tilted to the side.

“Something like that. Do you want some s’mores?” Eren asked.

“What’s a s’more?” Connie asked looking over from the tv show he was watching.

“Please tell me that kid didn’t ask what a s’more was.” Reiner said leaning over Eren. Eren elbowed him in the ribs. “Ow. What the hell?”

“Bubble Reiner and don’t tease them.” He said to the blonde behind him. To the children he explained what it was and Sasha was immediately intrigued. She jumped up and nodded her head vigorously. Connie and Mikasa also got up. “Come on, I’ll show you the proper way to make one.” He picked up Mika and let Connie climb up onto his shoulders. Sasha already running ahead, grabbing onto Levi and Jeans hands and pulling him toward the fire while she explained a s’more to them animatedly. Hange was by the fire putting her marshmallow on a stick. Eren took one of the seats next to the fire, making sure that the wind wasn’t going to blow smoke at them. He had Mika, Sasha and Connie all around him while he picked up some prongs for them.

“Now the trick is to stay far enough away from the flames that you just toast the marshmallow.” He told them, pointing to Hange as she was blowing out hers. “You don’t want to do that because it makes it taste bad.” He held out his stick near the fire to show them. “This takes longer, but you’ll have a better tasting marshmallow this way.”

“Don’t listen to him. The burnt ones are the best.” Hange said eating one of her marshmallows and putting another on the graham cracker Erwin was holding for her. Eren wrinkled his nose at the blackened marshmallow. He pulled his crispy brown one away and once it was cool enough let Sasha take it. He set up each of the kids prongs and made sure they were far enough away from the fire. Jean and Levi were also setting up theirs. Eren heard the splash of the water, but didn’t hear yelling so assumed someone had jumped in on their own this time. Aside from the scuffle with Reiner, this was turning out to be a peaceful night. He took a seat next to Levi on the ground.

“You ok?” Levi asked looking over at him while he twirled his stick by the fire.

“Yeah. Sorry about that. Reiner knows how to get under my skin sometimes. It’s all good now though. We’re both hot tempered around one another, but once we get it out of our system we’re fine again.”

“Even without the make up sex?” Jean whispered and Levi whipped his head over toward him. “Apparently they used to be a thing.”

“It’s old news.” Eren jerked his head to Reiner who was all over Bert. “They’ve been together since, and honestly they’re a lot better for each other.” Eren laid his head on Levi. “You’ve got nothing to worry about.”

“Didn’t say I was worried.” Levi muttered and leaned into Eren’s ear. “Do your friends know about us?”

“Of course they do.” Eren said with a smile. “I told them as soon as it was official, but Armin had his suspicions since he met you. You got to watch him. He doesn’t look like much but he can be an evil mastermind when he wants to be.”

“His girlfriend seems to be the one to look out for. How’d she manage to throw Reiner? She’s so small.”

“It’s got nothing to do with height. It’s all about momentum. She’d show you if you wanted her to.”

“Maybe I’ll ask.” Levi said nodding. Eren smiled up at him. “Might not be a bad idea all things considered.”

“At the very least she can teach you some self defense moves. I can too, but since she’s the same height as you you’d probably learn more from her.”

“I’ll think about it.” Levi agreed and Eren gripped his kneecap in a silent thanks.

“Eren! What do I do next?” Sasha held out her stick for him. Eren got up and motioned for her to follow. Connie and Mikasa came along too.

“Obviously you can eat the marshmallow as is, but the best thing is to make a smore out of them. He grabbed the graham cracker and broke it in half then broke up the bar of chocolate. He had Sasha hold her stick over the chocolate and put the graham cracker on top having her pull. “Wala. S’more.”

“Ooh. Gimme gimme.” Sasha said grabbing it out of his hands and taking a big bite. Her lips covered in chocolate. Eren helped the others make theirs too. Both of them were a little more careful than Sasha was, but Eren regretted not grabbing them napkins when he saw Connie sucking on his fingers since he ripped his marshmallow off. Mikasa had chocolate on her lips and her hands since she smooshed her s’more too hard together.

“Look at you being all domestic.” Annie said smiling and offering the kids some napkins. Eren saw Levi cringe away from Sasha when he saw her face and held back a laugh. “Never thought I’d see the day Eren Jaeger looked so fatherly.”

“Just as long as I don’t look like my father.”

“Cheers to that.” Annie sat down next to him bumping shoulders with him. “None of us want to be like our fathers.” She looked over where Eren was looking, watching Levi pull some wipes out of his back pocket and clean Sasha’s face while Jean held their marshmallows. “I had my reservations about this, but I like him. Armin does too. He breaks your heart though, I’ll break his kneecaps.”

“Noted.” Eren said with a smile. “I really do like him. All of them.”

“I can tell. They all seem to like you too. And they absolutely adore him. I wasn’t sure what to think when I heard everything.” Annie leaned back. “He’s a much better father than both of ours were.”

“Well the bar there is pretty low Annie.” He sat up and brushed himself off. “I’m going to go sit with my boyfriend now, as long as I have your permission ma’am.”

“Call me ma’am again and I’ll kick your ass.” She waved him away. “I’m going to go find my boyfriend too.”

\--------

Levi had managed to get the kids cleaned up and in bed in Eren’s spare room a few hours after s’mores. They’d each gotten a bit of a sugar high, but Levi admitted he didn’t really mind as much as he normally would have. Seeing them happy made it worth it, and he’d let them stay up longer than they would have at home. He shut the bedroom door quietly, seeing the kitten run in to the room before it was shut completely.

He walked outside to see the two groups at different tables. Hange’s head was on the table and the others around her chatted quietly. At Eren’s table, everyone had cards in their hands. Jean was leaning looking over Armin’s shoulder, the small blonde explaining something to him. Eren had his elbows on the table barely holding his set of cards. Eren’s friend Armin waved for him to join them when he saw Levi. Levi still wasn’t sure what his friends thought of him, or what they knew. He’d been nervous to come, and had debated not coming at all. He was glad he had though. Even Jean seemed to be having a good time. Jean made some room next to him and Levi pulled up a chair between Jean and Eren.

“Hey, kids ok?” Eren asked as soon as Levi sat down.

Levi nodded “They’re in your spare room, but I can’t guarantee they’ll go to sleep just yet. Someone suggested sweets to them.” He nudged Eren and he grinned broadly in return. “What’s going on here?”

“They’re making me broke. I’m gonna lose my house at this point. They’re gonna take my pool away.” Eren burrowed his head in Levi’s shoulder and Levi patted his head.

“Geeze even drunk Eren is different when he’s around.” Reiner muttered across the table.

“Maybe it’s just because he’s not with a hot head anymore.” Annie retorted. “You ever play poker Levi? We can deal you in next round.”

“I’ve never played. Wouldn’t really have a clue what to do.”

“We can teach you. Armin’s been helping Jean learn.” Levi looked over at his younger charge who smirked at him.

“Never know when it might come in handy right? Besides this was more interesting than being over there.” Jean jerked his head to the other table and Reiner laughed. “They’re all talking about boring shit.”

“Yes, we’re still the cool people.” Reiner said with a grin. Eren rolled his eyes at him and sighed louder than Levi thought he’d intended.

“Why are you losing?” Levi asked looking at Eren’s hand even though he hadn’t a clue what to really look for.

“It’s his face. Boy can’t hide shit from us, especially when he’s drinking.” Annie pointed to her own face. “The expression poker face is a very real thing. You’d be good at it once you learned the rules.”

“If we could persuade the others to join us we could play doubles.” Armin suggested. “We’d have enough people, and we could play a few rounds with no pot.”

“Heh, then we can play truth or dare poker.”

“Jesus Reiner, what are you 12? You want to play a game of spin the bottle next?” Annie rolled her eyes at her partner. “How I put up with you on a daily basis is beyond me.”

“Could always give me some business and you and Armin can buy a place.” Eren suggested with a smile.

“Tell your friend here to ring up. Then I’ll get a house with him.” Annie said haughtily turning to her boyfriend who was blushing and staring at the table. “Until then, I’ll deal with these two. As annoying and loud as they can be.”

“Could always just break the rules and propose to him.” Bert said throwing a few of his cards on the table. “Eren fold this round, you’re flashing your damn cards for everyone to see.

“Oh now suddenly you care if you cheat.” Eren muttered and Levi saw Reiner’s eyebrows raise and Bert flinch back. Eren tossed his cards down and laid his head on the table. “Armin’s a strategist. Probably has some huge event planned and will make an epic proposal.”

“Or just fuck it up completely and end up handing her the ring.” Reiner joked, relaxing when it seemed like Eren wouldn’t say anything else.

“and on that note.” Armin turned and waved at the people at the other table. “You guys want to play a game of poker with us? We want to do doubles to teach the newbies here.” Hange’s head jerked up off the table and she started nodding. Standing up and pulling Erwin with her. The people already at the table began to shift to make room for the new participants as the hand was seemingly ending soon.

“How do we want to do teams?” Armin asked folding his cards. He looked to Levi and Jean. “You two want to pick who you play with and we’ll go from there?”

“I’ll just play with Moblit then the rest of you can play as couples. Easiest solution.” Jean said looking back at Moblit who nodded in agreement. “I’ll be honest dude, I’m not going to be much help.”

“Levi you ok with that? I’ll be honest, I don’t know how useful Eren’s going to be either.”

“That’s fine. I’ll stick with him anyways.” Eren smiled at him.

While the rest of them played, Armin quickly explained the rules to Levi. He nodded his head in understanding. Armin held up his hand he folded explaining why he chose to fold. Then he picked up Eren’s, explaining his hand to him as well. Levi thought he got it, but it would take a few rounds until he was comfortable with it.

Reiner ended up winning the current round and pulled the pot to him while Annie shuffled for the next round.

“We’ll do 3 trial rounds. Then we can decide what the stakes are or if anyone wants to bow out at that point.” Annie then dealt the cards, giving one set to each couple. Levi took the cards so Eren wouldn’t accidentally show them again. Eren leaned into him, looking at their hand. Levi moved the cards around in his hand so Eren could hopefully catch what he thought he should do, holding two cards away from the others as the ones he wanted to trade in. Eren nodded then pulled away and Levi found himself missing the contact. The group made small talk while they played, asking Jean about school and if he was involved in any sports or clubs. Most of them had gone to the same school with Eren, Moblit graduated a couple years before them, and Bert had been in the same town, but had gone to a private school. Each of them were giving Jean suggestions for what club to join to meet the school requirements. The question came up what Jean planned to do after high school and Jean merely shrugged it off saying he’d figure it out later. Levi wanted him to take his future more seriously. He didn’t want him to end up like himself. He wanted the best for all the kids he raised, wanted them to get out of the life they lived. A few rounds had gone by, Levi hadn’t won a round yet, but he’d done decent on knowing when to fold and when to stay in the game. Eren said if they were playing for money he would have earned some so far just not the pot. While Eren appeared to be buzzed, he actually was a pretty good teacher. They had their free practice rounds and then they played small stakes. Eren was betting with his money, while he let Levi play, just guiding him if Levi asked him a question. Eren also told him about certain tells to watch for on the other players. Levi even managed to win a hand after a couple tries.

“Levi!” Mikasa yelled and Levi turned to see her running toward him, tears running down her face. He didn’t get a chance to get up before she climbed onto his lap, burying her face in his shirt.

“Another nightmare?” He asked handing Eren the hand while he rubbed Mika’s back and held her close. She nodded. “You want to talk about it?” She shook her head still not moving away from Levi.

“Can I stay here with you for a little bit?” She asked her voice muffled.

“Of course Mika. Anything you want. I can go inside with you.” Mika shook her head

“Go back to bed Sash. She’s fine.” Levi turned when he heard Jean talking to Sasha. She was rubbing her eyes and still looked half asleep. She nodded when she saw Levi had Mikasa closing the door. Levi excused himself from the table walking around with Mikasa still in his arms. He walked over to the pool humming the lullaby that soothed her. Her grip on his shirt lessened and once she was calmer he joined the others back at the table keeping her in his lap.

“You want me to take her inside? I’m probably calling it quits soon anyways.” Jean offered.

“She’s fine where she is. I’ll take her in later. But thanks Jean.”

“I think we’ll be leaving after this round as well. Looks like the birthday girl is also ready to call it tonight.” Mike looked over at Hange who was practically laying in Erwin’s lap. Erwin didn’t really seem to mind much. Eren ended up folding and getting up saying goodbye to those that were leaving. He joined them once Hange was in the car safely with Erwin. Levi saw his knee shaking under the table.

“I counted his drinks Eren. Erwin’s fine to drive.” Armin said not looking up from his cards. “Aside from the fact he’d never risk Hange’s life he’s also a principal now. He won’t risk all of that just for one night.”

Eren chewed his bottom lip but nodded. Levi reached out to him threading his hand through his when he saw how anxious Eren looked.

“Come on Eren. Let’s do a couple laps in the pool.” Reiner said standing up and handing his cards to Bert who didn’t seem all that happy. Eren nodded again and squeezed Levi’s hand before getting up and tossing his shirt and sweatpants on the chair he just vacated. He padded his way to the pool and with a grace Levi was envious of he dived into the water.

“Uh. What was that all about?” Jean asked not having moved since Eren started acting weird.

“Eren didn’t tell you about his mom?” Armin asked looking between the two. He set down his cards face up. “I win Bert.”

Realization hit Levi and he looked over at the pool. “His mom was in a car accident. He said it was a drunk driver.”

Armin nodded. “He’s very adamant about people staying when they’ve been drinking because of that. I didn’t have many drinks, and Annie and I would be sober enough to both drive, but we’ll stay for his peace of mind. I’m kind of surprised Erwin and Hange didn’t stay for the same reason.”

“Yeah, Hange suggested as much when she said we’d be staying. I get that I guess, but what’s up with the two of them going to the pool? It’s got to be cold at this point.”

“Eren has it heated.” Annie said putting the cards away. “Swimming and fighting are the two things that calm him down when he gets upset. Reiner’s a good partner for both. But a fight between them can get a little heated so this is the better option.” She pointed to Mika in Levi’s lap. “What about her? She ok?”

“Yeah. She’s already asleep again.” Levi said making sure not to jostle Mika. “She’s had trouble with nightmares since her parents died. She started going to therapy and has them less, but being in a new place is probably setting her off.”

Bert left the table and grabbed one of the towels near the pool. “Come on Reiner lets go sit by the fire and get you warmed up before bed.”

“It’s not really my business I guess, but what’s the story with the three of them?” Jean asked as Reiner got out of the pool. Levi saw the man was built. He had assumed as much with the way he filled out his clothes. He was slightly taller than Eren, and Bert was taller than him. Where Eren’s muscles were lean, Reiner’s bulged out. Levi could even see a few veins. Personally he didn’t find those kind of men attractive, but he wondered how Eren went from that to him. He had been curious about their story too, intending to ask Eren about it, but Jean had beat him to the punch.

Annie released a long sigh. “Reiner cheated on Eren with Bert. It was a couple years ago. Bert was a friend of Eren’s last boyfriend, and for whatever reason the two hooked up. It wasn’t just a one time thing either. Eren probably would have forgiven him for that. Reiner like had a full blown relationship with Bert while he and Eren were together too. I beat his ass so bad when I found out. If Reiner wasn’t happy he should have just told Eren, not done that to him. Eren was an absolute wreck about it.”

“Does that have anything to do with Eren’s scars?” Jean asked and Armin’s eyes widened.

“He showed them to you?”

“He wore one of my t-shirts when he was over once. I noticed.”

“Jean is very observant. Perhaps sometimes too observant.” Levi looked over at the teen.

“It comes from years of the foster life. Not apologizing for it.”

“Reiner wasn’t exactly the reason, but he was a factor.” Annie supplanted ignoring the look from Armin. “What? Eren probably won’t tell them that part.” Annie looked to Levi. “Eren is very much an all or none when it comes to relationships. Reiner fucked up horribly when he lost him, and I remind him of that frequently. Eren’s a good boyfriend and an even better friend. I know his feelings about you, but I’m telling you right now if this isn’t serious back off.”

“Eren’s the first real boyfriend I’ve had.” He looked over at the water where Eren was still swimming. He wasn’t certain Eren even noticed Reiner got out. “The feelings are mutual though.”

“Good.” Annie leaned back. “I like you. Just remember, all his friends are overly protective of our giant puppy. We can and will make your life hell should you ever hurt him. I only still put up with Reiner because he’s like family and he’s my partner. Personally, I will always hold a grudge on behalf of Eren for what he did.”

Levi nodded in acceptance. He liked Annie also, and was glad Eren had someone like her looking out for him. He tried to get the subject off of Eren because he didn’t care for the idea of talking about him when he wasn’t around. “Eren said if I asked you, you’d teach me how to do what you did to Reiner, and other things. He said he could but since you and I are the same height he thought it might be better if I learned from you.”

“Sure. I can teach you. I could use a new sparring partner. Armin here won’t learn.”

“I live with you and Reiner and have Eren as a best friend. I really don’t really see the point. I’m the brains not the brawn. That’s why Eren protected me growing up.” Armin explained to Jean and Levi. “I’m the only one who’s always known Eren. We lived on the same block growing up, went to the same schools you get the idea. I was teased relentlessly when I was younger. A bunch of bullies would always bother me. I’ve always been short and it never really helped I have girlish features and am a total nerd.

One day the bullies were up to their usual, but Eren came out of nowhere dropkicked the upperclassman and took on all his buddies. He lost horribly, and we were both beaten and bruised, but Eren’s face was lit up like a damn Christmas tree. Like he won some sort of match not lost miserably. We we’ve been friends since.” He looked down at the table and messed with the hem. “I didn’t notice what Dr. Jaegar was doing to him until it was almost too late. I saw bruises on Eren every once in awhile, but I just thought he’d gotten into a fight at school.” Armin looked up realizing he may have said too much. “Did he tell you anything about his dad or did I just release another bombshell?”

“I know the short version, and I’ve seen his scars from his father.” Jean’s head whipped over to him. “His dad’s in jail now he said and he ended up in the foster system.”

“I think you had more to drink than you should have love.” Annie ran her hand through Armin’s hair. “Your lips are really loose tonight. Not that I really mind. Like I said, Eren probably wouldn’t say anything on his own.”

“You’re right. I should stop for now.” Armin got up. “I think I’m going to bed. You coming Annie?”

“In a bit. I want to make sure Reiner gets to bed, and he goes in his own bed. I don’t want him trying to fuck things up again.” She kissed her boyfriend. “Sweet dreams.”

“Just don’t let them crawl in bed with me. And make sure Reiner’s wearing clothes when he goes to bed. We’ve all seen his pasty ass enough, we don’t need the kids to be more traumatized than they are by him.

“If he causes trouble I’ll make him sleep in the back of the car.” Annie said letting go of Armin.

Jean came over and held out his hands. “Let me take her for just a little bit. You go get Eren. I’ll go sit by the fire until you’re ready.”

Levi carefully handed Mika over to Jean, not wanting to wake her up again. Jean moved slowly so as not to disturb her. Annie followed, hesitating as though she wanted to tell Levi something, but deciding against it.

Eren was floating in the water when Levi came up. He took off his shoes and socks and put feet in the water surprised at it’s warmth. Eren’s eyes were closed and Levi worried he may have fallen asleep, but he opened an eye and got up, yelping at the cold and pushing himself under the water. He looked over at Levi. “How long you been there?”

“Only long enough to take my shoes off. So maybe a couple minutes. I wanted to check on you.”

“I’m ok, better now. You want to join me in the pool? You can wear my clothes after.”

“I don’t know how to swim.” Levi told him. “It’s not something I’ve ever needed to know to survive yet.”

“Just another thing for me to teach you then.” Eren said with a mischievous smile and started to swim over to Levi. “I promise I won’t let you drown and we can stay on the shallow end.”

“Even the shallow end is a problem when you’re my height.” Levi said. “Maybe another time.”

Eren pouted but didn’t force him, instead he came and laid his head over his arms on the ledge by Levi. “Where’d everyone else go?”

“Armin went to bed, the rest are over by the bonfire.”

“How’s Mika?”

“Asleep. Jean has her for now. What about you? Don’t tell me you’re just ok.”

Eren closed his eyes. “I really am ok now. It was stupid anyways. I know better than to think Erwin would ever risk his or Hange’s life. I just-I just worry too much sometimes.”

“It’s understandable after your mom.” Levi pushed Eren’s wet strands out of his face. “Just remember you can come to me when you’re upset. I don’t want this relationship to be one sided.”

Eren nodded and covered Levi’s hand with his own. “I don’t do it on purpose. Honestly I’m just so used to being around people who know everything already that sometimes I forget that you don’t know. I’ll work on it. I promise.” He looked over at the bonfire where the others were sitting. “So did they tell you any more embarrassing stories about me when I left?”

“Embarrassing no, but they did say some things. Annie also kind of threatened me. I like her.”

“Threatened you? Do I need to have a chat with her?”

“No it’s fine. Just said if I ever hurt you she’d hurt me. Armin’s face was also a little frightening when she said it. Like he agreed but didn’t feel the need to say it.”

“Yeah she said as much to me earlier too. I told her then not to worry.” Eren pushed himself out of the water and Levi found it difficult for his brain to function for a moment watching his muscles move. Eren smiled and held out his hand to him helping Levi up. He shook his hair out while finding a towel. Taking Levi’s hand once more he went and joined the others by the fire. Annie and Jean were sitting by one another while Bert and Reiner were sharing a seat. Jean was falling asleep holding Mikasa.

Levi tapped on Jean’s shoulder. “Go to sleep. I’ll take her.” He picked up the still sleeping Mikasa and shifted her into his lap. Her eyes opened for a moment, but closed quickly when she saw it was him. The teen got up and patted Levi’s shoulder sleepily making his way inside.

Reiner looked up at the sky “Does it make us old that I want to go inside already too? I mean these parties used to last all night.”

“We are coming off a double shift Reiner.” Annie reminded him. “If anything it makes us more responsible adults.”

“Eww. I think that’s worse.” Levi couldn’t help but laugh at the big blonde. The others were laughing too.

“If the amount of alcohol not consumed is anything to go by, I’d say we’re moving toward that responsible adult realm. I’m just happy I don’t have to deal with anyones puke this year.”

“The night is still young Eren. We can finish up the night with a drinking contest. Or better yet a drinking game.”

“Or we can just go to bed too.” Bert said quietly.

“That’s no fun.” Reiner whined. “I have the boring boyfriend.”

“That’s your own damn fault.” Annie retorted. “Eren you want any help cleaning up tonight?”

“I’ll get most of it in the morning. I’ll just put the fire out and get the food and drinks put away tonight.”

“Don’t forget to cover up the pool. I don’t want anyone hungover and slipping in.”

“Yes mother.” Eren gave her a kiss on her cheek. “Go keep Armin warm, just keep it pg-13 tonight k?”

“Please. As if I’d do it in your damn living room. I have standards you know. I’ll get the food put away. Reiner you can get the drinks for him.”

“Yes ma’am” Reiner saluted her as she sauntered off. “Armin’s a saint putting up with her bossy ass all the time.”

“I think it’s just you Reiner.” Eren said. He walked over to the garage and pulled the hose over to the fire. “I suggest you two move, or else you’re getting sprayed.”

“Aww man. Daddy Eren is making us go to bed too. How boring.” Reiner sat up and pulled Bert with him.

“Remember, PG-13!” Eren yelled as they walked away. Reiner dropped his boxers and mooned him. Eren turned on the hose and hit his ass with the cold water. Reiner yelped and ran inside. “Idiot.” Eren said turning the hose to the fire.

“You ok with Mika staying with us?” Levi asked as he brushed her hair. “I don’t want to risk her waking everyone else up.

“Of course. You don’t even need to ask.” Eren got the fire down to cinders. Levi blinked trying to get his eyes to work in the darker light. “Go on inside. I’ll be in once I get the cover on.”

“Do you need help? I can put her down and come back out.”

“Nope. I have an automatic cover. Makes my life so much easier.” He gave Levi a kiss. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

Levi walked into the house where Annie and Reiner were putting away the leftovers. With a nod he passed them and went to Eren’s room laying Mikasa down. He quietly walked into the spare room to check on the others. Connie and Sasha were on each side of Jean while the teen slept on his back. Levi grabbed Mikasa’s stuffed animal and saw the kitten was bumped up against Sasha. Throwing a blanket over the three of them he whispered good night and went back into Eren’s room. Mikasa had wrapped herself around one of the pillows. He exchanged it for her stuffed animal and changed into the pajamas he’d brought then crawled into bed behind Mikasa. He was turned toward the door so he saw it open shortly after, Eren’s large form coming in and closing the door behind him quietly. He closed his eyes while he heard Eren changing and felt the dip in the bed while he climbed into bed behind him.

“You have a good time tonight?” Eren said quietly, wrapping his arms around Levi’s waist and lying his head on his shoulder.

“Surprisingly yes. I was worried about meeting your friends, but they seem nice.”

“Mmm. They were on their best behavior tonight. I should have the kids come to all my parties now.”

“What about you? Aside from the end there?”

“I didn’t hate this one so there’s that. Normally I get so irritated at these parties. I feel like I didn’t get to spend as much time with you though.”

“You were with your friends, and it was Hange’s birthday.” Levi turned so he could kiss Eren. “I was fine. The kids always keep me busy anyways.” He saw Eren’s eyes drooping while he tried to stay awake. “Go to sleep. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”

“Do you work in the morning?”

“No Hange has Moblit and I off tomorrow just in case we needed it after the party. Jean doesn’t go in until lunchtime.”

“Good.” Eren squeezed Levi tightly. “Night.”

“Night Eren.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is sort of a compilation of smaller chapters. I didn't want to post them individually so I put them together. Next chapter gets back to the plot more.

Levi was sitting outside with the kids while Eren cooked on the grill, promoting himself to the chef of the night after Hange’s birthday party a few days ago. Farlan and Isabel were coming over later to join them promising to bring desserts. The kids were over on the playground while Jean seemed overly fidgety as he sat at the table with Levi. His hands constantly moving and he’d open his mouth to say something then just close it. Even Eren had noticed the teens behavior, despite the fact he had his back turned most of the time while he cooked. After the third time Jean opened his mouth Eren slammed the tongs down and turned to the kid.

“Seriously Jean. What the hell? Just spit it out already.”

Levi was going to tell Eren to leave him alone but Jean blurted “I think I might be gay!” Then smacked his hand over his mouth looking at Levi in fear.

“You were honestly worried about coming out? I hate to break it to you Jean, but I’m a guy too. So that makes Levi and I, you know, gay.”

“I’m well aware asshole.” Jean said his eyes darting between the two, very focused on Levi’s reaction. “But still.”

“Jean, never be worried about who you are.” Levi said trying to ease his teenage charge. “Now, why do you think you might be gay?”

Eren turned down the grill and shut the lid. “You want me to go inside for this? I can come back out later?”

“No. Stay.” Jean said pointing to the spot next to Levi. “Um how did you know?”

Eren sat down tapping his chin while he thought about it. “I think I was in middle school when I started to get the idea. Girls were all going through puberty and all the boys in my class were commenting on their boobs. I said I kind of liked it when they didn’t have them. My first crush was actually Armin.”

“Armin? Really?” Levi asked getting off topic.

“Obviously we never did anything.” Eren said with a wave dismissing it. “I knew for sure when this girl wanted to date me. I said yes because I thought it was the right thing to do. I liked her as a person, but wasn’t attracted to her per say. Did the whole middle school dating thing, held her hand, wrote her letters, ate lunch with her and walked with her to and from school. I even kissed her every once in awhile. My friend Thomas from another school started acting all weird about it. Then one day he kisses me out of the blue. It was definitely different, and I much preferred his kisses than hers. I tried to break it off with her, telling her why so she wouldn’t think it was her. She stayed as my pseudo girlfriend until I was ready to come out. I think she ended up coming out later too.” Eren tapped his chin while he thought about it.

“Well that wasn’t helpful.” Jean looked over to Levi who just shook his head.

“Trust me, I wouldn’t be any help to you either. Just tell us your story.”

Jean dropped his head to the table. “I thought I liked girls. I mean I’ve always found them attractive. They’re all soft and sweet. I’ve never kissed anyone though, but I always just kinda figured it would be a girl you know. But then there’s this guy I work with. He’s all sunshine and freckles and I just find him absolutely adorable. It makes my day when I know I’m working with him.”

“And this guy, he’s the one who takes you to and from work?” Eren asked.

“Yes.” Jean said hiding his face between his arms.

“Well it could just him in particular.” Jean brought his eyes up so he could look at Levi. “You could just be attracted to him, but still like girls overall.”

“That sounds more complicated than just being gay.” Jean muttered. Eren snorted. He stood up and checked on the food.

“Do you know what his preference is?” Eren asked flipping the meat before rejoining them. “I mean, that can kibosh this whole thing before it even starts and you might be having a freak out over nothing.”

“It’s never come up?” Jean said making the statement sound like a question. “Oh no, how do you ask someone if they like guys or girls?”

“Calm down, that’s relatively easy to figure out.” He slung his arm over Levi’s shoulder. “You can usually tell by the way people react when they see a couple. Which by the way, you have a relatively hetero reaction to.” Eren noted pointing at Jean’s upturned face.

“It’s not because of the gay thing. It’s more the Levi thing. You know, like how you know your parent _do it_ but you don’t want to see it.”

“You did it to Reiner and Bert too.”

“Well I just don’t like them. I got bad vibes off them before, and then Annie and Armin said what Reiner did to you.” Eren’s eyebrows raised.

“So that came up while I was away too huh? Remind me to smack both of them.” Eren said pinching the bridge of his nose. He looked over at Levi. “You never said anything.”

“I figured you’d say something when you wanted to.” Levi said not wanting to let Eren know about his other worries just yet. He turned his attention back to Jean. “Say this guy is interested, what do you want?”

“I don’t know! Jean threw his hands up in frustration “I’ve never dated anyone before. I’ve never even really liked anyone before. Ugh, this is complicated. I’ll just stay single forever.” He threw his head down on the table hiding from them once more.

Levi heard the doorbell ring. “We’ll talk about this more later.” Levi said getting up to let Farlan and Izzy in. Both had desserts in their hands. Levi led them out back where everyone else was calling the kids to the table while Isabel opened up the stuff she brought. Eren put a plate of grilled vegetables on the table and saying the rest would be ready in a few minutes. Jean seemed to be studying Isabel and Farlan, his brows furrowed together. Levi walked over to Eren and turned so he could talk quietly to him while he cooked.

“I don’t know what to do here.” Levi said softly.

“You think I do?” Eren said with an eyebrow raised. “We could call Erwin and Hange. They were the ones who had _the talk_ with me.” He pointed to Jean with the tongs. “And I’m sorry but I’m totally bailing on you if that’s what this conversation turns into.”

“You’d leave me?” Levi teased and Eren kissed his nose.

“In this incident yes. My ass is running out that door. I will play parent any other time. I’ll even help with puberty with the girls, but the talk is all you.”

“Plan on sticking around that long huh?” Levi asked

“I don’t ever do things half assed Levi, I was planning on sticking around the day I met you.” Eren’s eyes blazed and Levi found himself getting lost in them.

Levi’s mouth felt dry and he cleared his throat. “Well, if that line doesn’t work on someone I’m not sure what will. I’m uh- I’m going to sit down now.”

“You’re adorable when you get flustered.” Eren said putting the burgers on a plate. “Come on, lets go eat.”

\------

A couple days later, Levi was sitting at Sina’s next to Eren. Jean had refused to talk any more about his crush after dinner the other night, so Eren had devised this plan, which had involved getting everyone together for breakfast. Along with themselves, Hange and Erwin, Annie and Armin, and Reiner and Bert were all at the table too, although as far as Levi knew, none of them knew the real reason Eren wanted them all to come. The younger children were left in Izzy and Farlan’s care for the morning. Izzy had been begging to watch them and Eren had persuaded him that today would be the best time.

Jean had walked past hurriedly while holding a large bin. He froze for a second and back up giving Eren and Levi a glare while Eren smiled innocently at him. Jean looked around the table taking everyone one in. “What the _hell_ are you all doing here?”

“I like the coffee here.” Eren said holding up his cup. “I suggested we come here.”

Jean sat the bin down on the table across from him and slammed his hands down in front of Eren. “Cut the crap Jaegar. What are you up to?”

Eren blinked his eyes at Jean unperturbed. “Who? Me? Be up to anything? No, never. I just wanted coffee.”

“And so did everyone else?” Jean asked his eyes scanning the table. Annie and Armin were doing their best not to laugh while Bert, Reiner, and Hange seemed confused. Erwin was shaking his head at Eren. Jean turned his glare to Levi. “And you helped?”

Levi held his hands up in surrender. “I swear, I’m just here for breakfast.”

“Hi everyone sorry about the wait. Can I take your order? Oh Jean, do you know these people?” Eren nudged Levi hard and Jean’s face had gone from very pale to very red in a matter of seconds. Levi looked at the smiling teenager who had come to wait on them. Brown hair cut short and freckles all over his cheeks and nose. When he smiled, it was very bright and sincere. He had to be Marco from Jean’s description.

“Uh, that’s Levi.” Jean pointed to Levi as though that was a good enough explanation.

“Oh sir! It’s nice to meet you.” Marco said grabbing Levi’s hand and shaking it. “Jean talks about you and his siblings a lot.”

“Oh he does, does he?” Eren said waggling his eyebrows. Jean shot him a death glare from behind the kid. He slung his arm over Levi and pulled him closer to him. “Does he talk about me at all?”

“Oh! You must be Eren. Oh that makes more sense now.” Marco laughed and played with the back of his head. “Honestly I just had a girl pictured when he talked about you.” Reiner started laughing and it seemed to be enough to finally get Armin and Annie to break. “Oh sir. I meant no offense.”

“None taken.” Eren said. “Ignore my friends. They’ll just make fun of me when you leave.”

“Oh. So sorry again. Can I get you all started with anything or you want me to come back?”

“I believe we’re ready to order.” Erwin said looking down the table and the others started to quiet down.

“Oh principle Smith! I’m sorry I didn’t notice you were here too. Sorry.” He turned back to Jean who jumped when the other teen looked his way. “Remind me to come to you when I have trouble at school.” He said while pulling out his note pad. Jean blushed behind him and now Armin was sitting forward watching the whole interaction with interest. Everyone ordered and Marco said he’d be back soon with drinks.

“Well doesn’t he seem nice.” Eren said sitting back in his chair. “Really does seem like sunshine and freckles like Jean said huh Levi?”

Jean’s face became even more red and he slammed his hands on the table again getting close to Eren’s face. “I’m so siccing the other kids on you jack ass.”

“Love you too, horse face. Get back to work now before you get in trouble.” Eren made a shooing motion and Jean left in a huff.

“Sooo, want to tell us what you’ve involved us in?” Hange asked her head in her hands while she leaned over the table to get closer to Eren.

“We’re on a recon mission.” Eren said with a smile “Our little Jean boy has a crush.”

Hange squealed and stood up looking around the room. “Which one is she?”

“I don’t think you’re looking for a _she_ Hange.” Armin noted. “And _he_ just took our orders am I right?” Eren nodded.

Hange turned around to look at Marco while he took another groups orders. Levi was becoming even more sorry for Jean by the minute. He was certain he’d hate him forever after this. “Alright Eren. Fess up.” Hange said turning back to him. “I’m certain this was your idea.”

“What? Me? Why does everyone think its me?” He scoffed. “I’m just here for the ride.”

“Jean doesn’t know if the guy is gay.” Levi explained earning him a sad look from his partner. “So Eren decided the best way to find out would be to see how he reacts to certain couples.”

“Oooh. I get it. So, amp up the PDA?” Reiner asked with a smile.

“For once, yes Reiner. Amp up the PDA.”

“Oh hell.” Annie smacked herself in the forehead. “This is so going to backfire on you Jaegar.”

“It’s a full proof plan.”

“Well going off that, Jean isn’t gay.” Bert spoke up. “That kid was giving us nasty looks all night at the party.

“That’s just you’re nasty to look at.” Eren retorted slapping the hand Annie held up for him.

“God, I miss having you around more often.” Annie said smiling. Even Reiner was laughing clapping Bert on the back.

“Let it go Bert. He deserved that one.” Reiner said, “Good to see you more like yourself Eren.”

“So why are we involved? Couldn’t you just have asked Bert and Reiner to this and left us out of it.”

“And leave the four of them at the same table _alone?_ I’d be called in for a homicide or assault on an officer.”

“And of course, I need to check out this boy, make sure he’s good enough for one of my ducklings.” Hange said. Levi regretted his decision to be a part of this plan.

“Shh. He’s coming back.” Eren said watching as Marco walked over with a tray of drinks. Armin was leaning forward again watching all of Marco’s movements carefully. Reiner grabbed onto Bert’s face and kissed him hard, Bert releasing a moan that had everyone at the table looking at him and Marco almost dropping all their drinks on them. Levi felt Eren grip his knee under the table, his lips turning to a thin line, a little bit of that mischievous joy leaving his eyes. Levi grabbed his hand and put it along with his on the table.

“Alright that’s enough.” Annie threw her napkin at them. “Honestly, we’re in a freaking restaurant. Keep it PG.” Annie turned to Marco. “I’m sorry about our friends. They’ve been away each other for some time and just can’t seem to keep their hands off one another.”

“Oh! It’s ok. Perfectly understandable.” He gave everyone their refills and tucked his tray under his arm. “Does anyone need anything else?”

“No dear. Thank you so much.” Hange said sweetly. When he left Hange smacked her hands off the table. “We need a young girl.”

“Hange, we’re willing to overlook some things from our friends, but kidnapping someone we’d have to report.” Reiner said looking over at her. Bert was slumped in his chair looking rather dazed.

“We could see if he’s attracted to the girl idiot.”

“I’m going with gay. Maybe bi.” Armin said. “Hard to tell though. I don’t want to go off stereotypes. He may also still be unsure himself or hasn’t come out yet.” Armin sat back in his chair. “I’m so glad I don’t have to do the dating thing anymore.”

“You’re the principal. Spill the beans.” Hange said shaking Erwin.

“Knowing my students’ sexual orientation doesn’t really come under my realm of responsibility. Besides he’s in the high school. I’m in charge of middle school.

“Regardless he seems very nice.” Annie said leaning over so she could see Levi better. “And harmless.”

“He’s coming back and this time Jean’s with him.”

“Damn Armin, switch seats with me. I want to be able to see.”

“I feel like it’s a terrible idea to put you and Eren by one another.” Armin replied.

“Hi everyone! Food’s here.” Marco went around the table giving everyone their orders while Jean held the other tray for him. Marco took it once he was done with, he first one, putting Levi’s food in front of him last. “Any thing else I can get you? Refills?”

Eren held up his cup. “More coffee please when you have a second.” Annie and Armin nodded with him.

“Sure, I’ll bring it right over.”

“Let me handle this boys.” Annie said quietly just as Marco was leaving. “How did your date go the other day Jean?” Levi watched Marco steps falter for a second as he left. Annie tapped on the table making sure Jean stayed until he came back. “I can’t believe you got stood up. Such a shame.”

“Oh, yeah. I was really looking forward to it too.” Jean said trying to go along. Levi watched Marco’s shoulders relax a little when he was refilling drinks. Eren nudged him again so he must have noticed it too. “I’m going to go back to work.”

“Jean didn’t mention having a date.” Marco said softly so only Levi would hear. “Was it someone at school?”

“He didn’t say.” Levi said going along with it. He stepped on Eren’s foot so his boyfriend would stop grinning like an idiot. “I’m assuming so.”

“Oh, I- I thought maybe, well I guess I thought he’d tell me if he was interested in someone.” For the first time today, Levi saw the smile falter just slightly.

“So, you and Jean are good friends then?” Hange asked, her grin just as wide as Eren’s and Levi couldn’t reach her. “You _like_ him?”

“Oh yes. He’s great to work with. He’s an amazing cleaner I love when I have to close with him. It makes the night go by much quicker. I’m sorry I have to get back to my other tables.”

“Of course, dear. Thank you so much.”

“There you go. You’re welcome.” Annie said with a smile.

“Annie, you’re amazing. Armin, put the damn ring on her already.” Eren clapped his hands. “Wonderful supporting performance by Hange and Levi as well.”

Jean came back and was hopping on his legs to and fro. “so?”

“Definitely straight kid. Gaydar wasn’t going off at all, right Bert.” Reiner shook his boyfriend. “I think I should maybe get him home.” Reiner threw some money over to Eren. “Uh, Annie you may want to take the long ride home.”

“ugh. Just call me when it’s safe to come home. Worse than a damn rabbit.”

Levi saw Jean’s shoulders sag. “They’re teasing you.”

“What?”

“Still not sure about orientation exactly, but he definitely likes you.” Armin said waving goodbye to Bert and Reiner. “He was really disappointed about your fake date.”

“Oh, my little boys growing up so fast!” Hange said standing up and pulling Jean toward her. “It was just the other day you waltzed into my Hotel looking for a place to stay for the night.”

“Come on crazy woman, let me go. I’m at work.” Jean said with a huff. He pointed at Eren. “You. I’m still mad at you.” He turned his finger at Levi. “And I’m kind of mad at you for going along with his plan. I’ll see you at home.”

“You’re in trouble now.” Annie said.

“Eh, I’m not all that worried. I’m pretty sure the kids like me enough that his plan won’t work as well as he hopes. I also have a kitten hostage.”

“I’d lie low for a day or two.” Levi said. “Just to be on the safe side.”

“Fine. I’ll be showing houses the next few days anyways.”

“Just think, if they end up getting married, this can go in the groom’s speech.”

\------

Levi’s phone began to ring while he was making breakfast. The kids hadn’t made their way down yet, but he figured the smell of food would bring them down at some point. He smiled when he saw it was Eren. “Good morning.” He said. “I thought you had an open house today.”

_That’s why I’m calling. I need your help._

“What’s wrong?”

_My cleaners cancelled on me last minute. I need some help cleaning this place. It’s not terrible, but I won’t get it done in time on my own._

“I can come once I get the kids to school.”

_Thanks. I owe you an epic date. And you’ll get paid too._

“You don’t need to give me an epic date.” Levi said with a smile. “I’m happy to help. Let me finish breakfast and tell Jean I’m leaving.

_Ok. I’ll come get you at the school then._

“I’ll see you there.” Levi yelled up the stairs to the kids getting them to come down for breakfast then walked with them to school. He saw Eren’s car by the school and went to join him. Eren picked him up and drove to the home. He saw Eren’s picture on the sign in the yard along with balloons and an open house sign.

Eren opened the door using his phone on some large keypad and held it open so Levi could go inside. Eren was dressed in one of his suits which he filled out quite nicely. He undid his tie and unbuttoned his shirt tossing them and his jacket over the top of the couch. He smiled when he caught Levi looking. “We don’t have time for what your face is telling me right now.”

Levi shook his head answering Eren and using it to clear his thoughts. “Where do you need me to clean the most? In case we run out of time.”

“Upstairs, the bathroom and the master bedroom first. I’ll get down here.”

Levi nodded and went upstairs pulling out his bandana to keep his hair back. By the time he was done, the place looked like a different home. He opened the windows to let clean air in and came downstairs. Eren was mopping the tile floor in the kitchen and Levi could smell something baking.

“This is really not a part of the job description. “Eren said when he saw him. “I realize you’re not intending to look hot, but that outfit just does things to me.”

“You were the one who said there was no time.” Levi reminded him with a smirk, taking off his bandana and putting it back in his pocket. “It’s not to my usual standards up there but it will do in the time crunch. Are you baking something?”

“No, just a candle. Smells good right?” Eren looked up at the clock. “Crap. I need to go pick up the food.”

“I’ll finish up. Go do what you need to.”

“You’re wonderful.” Eren kissed him and Levi had to push him away after a moment.

“Time crunch Eren.”

“Fuck. Right. I’ll be back.” Eren grabbed his dress shirt and threw it over his t shirt walking out the door. Levi finished what he could downstairs before Eren came back carrying a tray of cookies and sandwiches. Eren set them up quickly letting out a long huff of air once he was done.

Levi grabbed his suit jacket and tie off the couch. He handed them to him.

“Aww no tying my tie for me?” Eren said wrapping it around his neck.

“Just one other thing I don’t know how to do.”

“It’s easy once you get the hang of it.” He brushed his hands on Levi’s face. “I’ll teach you whatever you want to know and if I don’t know it, we’ll learn together.”

“You big sap.” Levi said “Here, I can at least straighten it.” Eren held his chin up while Levi fixed his tie, his teal eyes smoldering while he watched. “Don’t look at me like that you have things to do today.”

“I know. I can’t help it.” He fixed his suit jacket but chose to leave it unbuttoned for a moment. “I look ok?”

“You always do.” Levi reached on his tip toes and Eren bent down when he saw Levi stretching. “You need to get a haircut though.”

“I kinda like it like this.” Levi must have made a face because Eren laughed. “Fine. I’ll get it cut soon.” Eren pulled out a checkbook out of his suit jacket. “Before you go and rip this up, this is a company check not mine. It’s what we would have paid the cleaning crew.” Eren ripped it out and handed it to Eren. “Also, I find out you didn’t cash it I’m going to just deposit it in your account.”

“You sure I didn’t get the boyfriend pricing? This seems like a lot for just a couple hours.”

“That’s why I’m trying to get you in to the company. This is a little more because the boss ok’d a short minute notice but that’s pretty accurate. Normally there’s a couple people so it would be split amongst the group. You worked alone so you get it all.”

“You cleaned too.”

“Shh.” Eren said spinning him around and walking him toward the front door. “Semantics. Sorry I can’t take you home, but I’m cutting it short. Hange is on the way to come get you though.”

“I can walk.”

“I asked you to come. I’m not about to make you walk.” Eren flicked his nose. “Want me to come over after I’m done here? Or am I still lying low?”

“Jean’s working tonight.”

“Excellent. I’ll bring dinner. See you and the kids then.” He kissed him softly. “Thanks for coming through for me.”


	19. Chapter 19

“So this is where my little bird has been.” Levi froze when he heard the voice of the brothel owner, Elise behind him. “Doesn’t seem like a better cage to me.” Levi turned slowly to see her standing in the doorway of the hotel room he was cleaning. “It took me awhile to find you little raven. I’ve missed you, and so have my clients.”

“Guess you’ll have to find another little bird.” Levi said choosing to ignore her “I’m not really interested anymore.”

“Oh? Suddenly the work not good enough for you? Get some sense of peace and suddenly you slap the hand that helped you when you needed it most.”

“Not worth risking my life over.” Levi said, concerned about her words. He never spoke about home or the kids even to the other workers, yet there was something there that Levi didn’t like.

“So you’d resort to cleaning nasty rooms? She asked shutting the door and sitting on the edge of the bed. “Darling, if it’s a cleaning fetish you have, I’ll gladly have you help in cleanup at my place. I’m sure I can beat their prices here. I hear the woman who runs this is a little off her rocker.”

Levi clenched his fists. “I’d rather do a lot of things than go back there again.” He went to open the door for her. “And it’s time for you to leave. You’re trespassing.”

“Well I assumed you would prefer to see me here instead of that cute little home you have now.” She smiled cruelly at him. “How are the little one’s doing Levi?”

“You’ve been watching me?”

“Only when it seemed like you wouldn’t fly back.” The Elise's eyes narrowed. “I don’t like it when things are taken from me.”

“You said to choose one of your options. I chose to leave and never come back.” Levi said his hand shaking over the handle of the door. “Leave them out of this.”

“Well, you see I can’t really do that. I have clients requesting you, and I need you back. I have some friends in high places you know.” She held out a something for him to take. He looked at the picture, while it wasn’t immediately obvious it was him, the woman with him was obviously Petra. “Now what would child services think if they saw this hmm? Did she give you some special treatment so you could settle things like this?”

Levi ripped the picture from her hands and began to tear it in front of her. “I said leave them out of this.”

“That’s only a copy my raven. I have plenty more where that came from. Now, as for them that is completely your choice.” She got up and began to circle him. “Come back to work for me and all these pictures are yours to do with as you wish. Choose to stay away and these and far more will be released. I do wonder if they’ll see you as fit to raise those kids when they see these?” She raked her nails down his back causing him to shiver but not in any type of good way. “And of course when you come back you’ll earn your usual wages. I’ll even give you a raise since obviously you’re in such high demand.” She gripped his chin so he’d look at her. “It really is a win-win for you.” She released him and started to walk out the door. “I’ll see you tonight dear.”

Levi picked up the closest thing he could find and threw it at the closed door in frustration. He collapsed to the ground, not sure what to do. He desperately wanted to call Eren, but that would only make things worse. He could try to message Petra and warn her, but she’d likely accuse him of having the pictures taken. Not to mention there were others too from what the owner had said. Even if Petra managed to get out of it, the others would be used against him. He could just take the kids and go. Wouldn’t be the first time they ran. But no, he couldn’t do that either. Too many people had become a part of their lives here. He pulled at his hair trying to think of some solution that didn’t have him going back. With a final sense of acceptance, he realized there really was no option for him. Once he was there he could try to look for the pictures. That would be the only way to get out of this.

He took a long deep breath and then resumed work, letting his brain shut down so this was easier on him.

\-------

Levi felt more like he was going to the execution than returning to the brothel. He’d waited until late when all of the children were asleep, and with one last look in their rooms, he left a note beside Jean’s bed only letting him know he’d be back by morning. He hoped Mikasa would sleep through the night tonight. He’d kissed them all softly so as not to wake them. The urge to just take them and run filled his mind once more. There was no doubt that they would have done it. Even now he wanted to just run back, pack them up and get them on the next bus. He couldn’t bring himself to do it though. He didn’t want to run away from the people who had begun to mean so much not only to him, but to the children as well. So he continued his trudge to the brothel. He could do this. It meant nothing. It was nothing. He’d done it for years and it never mattered before.

He rounded the corner and was surprised to see so many cars there tonight. He looked out into the parking lot, his hood covering his face. None were ones he recognized. He walked in and the girls working the front sent him back to meet with the owner. She had her usual men in the room with her. When she saw him walk in she jumped up in joy. “My raven has come flying home!” She clapped. Putting out her cigarette she wrapped Levi in a hug. “You could have tried a little harder dear.” She said taking in his appearance.

“I’m here just like you wanted. That’s all you’re getting. Hand me the pictures.”

“Now you know I can’t do that. How about this, every night you work, I’ll give you one picture.” She held up a manicured nail to his lips. “We can make a little game of it.”

“I’m not fond of games.” Levi retorted. “How many pictures do you have?”

She tapped her finger on her chin while she thought. “Not sure honestly.” She smiled at him as she made her way back to her chair. “Enough to keep you working for the rest of the year surely. With all of the money you’ll make, you can make those little children’s days when you get them all the Christmas presents, they want.” Levi chewed his cheek while his mind raced on how he could get out of this. She must have noticed it as well. “Darling, don’t look so glum. I’m not sure who’s been filling your head with all these delusions, but this is where you belong. This is all you’re good for. I’m doing you a favor.” She wasn’t wrong there. He knew he wasn’t good at anything else.

“Lets just get this over with so I can go home.” Levi replied coldly. He held his composure behind the well trained mask. No one would know the war that raged on in his head, or how much he wanted to just reach out and strangle this woman.

“Fine, be that way. You’re room is ready and waiting for you my dear.” She handed him an envelope with a wad of cash. In it was a picture, as promised. “Consider this a prepayment. Now go make my clients happy.”

\-------

It was a long night for Levi, but not near his worst by far. He was almost home and craved his bed feeling so mentally and physically exhausted. Even though he showered at the brothel, he still felt gross. The . house was quiet which he took as a good sign. He checked in the kids rooms, Mikasa and Sasha were fast asleep, Sasha had wrapped herself around Mikasa and he could hear her gentle snores. He went into the boys room, moving quietly to pick up the note he’d left for Jean, glad he made it home before it was necessary. Jean’s arm was thrown off the bed while Connie was sleeping like a starfish, his blankets long since fallen to the floor. Levi picked them up and and carefully threw them back on the sleeping child. Closing their door softly, he turned and walked into his room, his heart jumping when he saw a figure sitting on his bed. For a moment, his heart relaxed. The figure turned on the lamp by his bed and he recognized Eren. He only had a moment’s peace though before his mind caught up that Eren was here.

“Welcome home honey.” Eren said sarcastically. His eyes were red rimmed and his hair messed up. “You have a good night at work?”

Levi didn’t know what to say, he just stood there gawking at Eren who was waiting for him. “What are you doing here?” He asked stupidly, regretting it as soon as he said it.

“Doesn’t really matter at the moment.” Eren said running his tongue across his teeth irritatingly. “I thought you were done.”

“I- I thought I was too.” Levi said hanging his head. The silence between them was stagnant making the air feel tight around him. They never really talked about it, but since the night Levi had broken down, it was just assumed by both parties that he wouldn’t return. Since Eren had managed to get him the job with the cleaning company after his open house, there was no need to financially. He could see the pain in Eren’s eyes now, the look of betrayal.

After the silence between them continued Eren slapped his own thighs. “Well, looks like you’re home safe and the kids are good so I’ll be going then.” Eren stood up and tried to walk past him. Levi reached out to him grabbing his bicep. Eren glared down at him.

“Wait, please.”

“Don’t touch me.” Eren said his voice low and hoarse. He ripped his arm out of Levi’s grip and took a step before Levi stood between him and the door.

“I can explain.” Levi said his voice rising.

Eren put a finger to his lips. “Shh. Don’t want to wake the children now do we?” His body appeared tired and worn out. “You should have explained before you left. You only want to explain now because you got caught.” He grabbed Levi’s shoulders and lifted him out of the way, slamming the door in his face. Levi followed after him, earning him another slam when Eren walked out the front door. Levi opened the door to see Eren running down the street to where he had parked his car. He slid down the wall and curled up in a ball cursing himself. He winced when he heard the squealing of tires and the hum of an engine being pushed too hard too fast. He hoped Eren would get wherever he was going safely. As much as he wanted to chase after him, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He’d find a way to fix this, he just needed more time to think.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully this makes up for the short chapter I posted last week. This one took me a really long time to do before I was happy with it. Don't forget to leave a comment if you still like the story. They really help to motivate me. Hope you enjoy.

Eren laid on his hammock swinging it gently a beer in his hand, his body and mind exhausted after the night’s events. He’d come home and opened the pool, swimming until he could barely lift his body out then barely making it to the mini fridge to grab a six pack and get to where he was now. He hadn’t even bothered to take off his pants or dry off, both things he regretted now. The cool air hit him, yet he couldn’t bring himself to get up and go inside. He threw an arm over his eyes as the sun began to rise in the sky continuing the gentle sway as he drank. He was nearing the end of the six pack and even that didn’t get him moving.

“I was hoping I’d find you here.” Eren looked over to see Hange walking up to him. He’d never been happier to see her than today. His eyes began to water when he saw her face and his lips quivered as she made her way over, a blanket in her hand from god knows where.

“Hange-“ He reached out for her and her face softened. She cleared the space between and threw the blanket over him for some warmth. She maneuvered herself on the hammock so he could lay his head on her lap, He gripped her tightly, his arms wrapped around her like a boa as soon as she had reciprocated.

“Shh sweetie. It’s ok. It’s going to be ok.” She whispered softly running her hand through his hair soothingly, her other arm rubbing his bare arm.

“Who told you?” He asked barely recognizing his own voice.

“No one really told me. I could tell Levi was out of sorts when he came into work today. He asked if I’d heard from you so I thought something might have happened. Do you want to talk about it? He didn’t say anything about a fight between you two or if it was something else bothering you.”

Eren closed his eyes. He was so tired, and his eyes hurt from the tears he’d already spilled. “Levi went back.”

“He went to the brothel? Why didn’t he say anything to us?” Hange mused not really directing the question at him so he chose not to speculate with her. It was the same questions he had since he had found Levi missing when he had needed him.

“If he had to go back fine, but why didn’t he say anything Hange? After last time why would he risk it? I thought he was doing ok now with the hotel and the cleaning service.” He sat up so he could look at her. “Why didn’t he come to one of us?” Tears streamed down his cheeks. “Is there something wrong with me Hange? Was dad right all these years?”

Hange slapped her hands on each side of his face, her eyes ablaze while also welling up with her own tears. “You listen to me. Your father was an asshole. He told you nothing but lies after your mother died. There is absolutely nothing wrong with you sweetheart. You are perfect just the way you are.” She pulled him back to her in a tight hug before allowing him to lay back down. “You need to talk to him darling. I’m sure there’s a reason. It’s possible he doesn’t see what he did as wrong.”

“He didn’t have either one of us watching the kids. He was trying to hide it.” Eren argued, he let the tears flow again not caring if Hange saw him a mess.

“I’m so sorry sweetheart, you’ve had a rough night.” She bent down and kissed his cheek. “You know I love you. Erwin loves you. Your friends love you. And Levi and the kids all love you too. Even if it may not seem like it yet or you both haven’t said it in words.”

Eren’s eyes welled up again. “No he doesn’t. I’m not enough for anyone. It’s why they always leave. Pick someone else.” He buried his head into her, his voice muffled not really caring if she heard or understood “He’d rather go and almost get killed than just talk to me.”

“You know that’s not true. You’re just upset right now.” She rubbed a thumb across the cheek she was able to see.

“He would have had he been home. I needed him and he wasn’t there. No one was.” He felt the dark thoughts begin to consume him and tried to push it back. He didn’t want to be weak anymore. He had managed to drag himself from the depths before, he wouldn’t let everything from last night be the reason he fell again. Hange didn’t try to argue with him, sensing where his head was. The two were silent for a time, Eren taking heavy shaking breaths while he tried to calm down his tears the only sound was Hange murmuring soft soothing sounds that he wasn’t sure were songs or her talking to him. It made him miss his mother terribly and wished she could be here to tell him everything was alright. He knew she’d be grateful for Hange filling that void as best she could in her absence.

“Good you are here.” Eren turned his head and opened his eyes to see Levi standing there, looking more disheveled than normal. He was clutching his knees and panting as though he’d run a marathon. Eren idly wondered if he’d rushed here after working at the hotel then reminded himself he shouldn’t care.

“Hello Levi.” Hange said quietly. She tried to pry herself from Eren’s grip. He loosened his hold looking up in at her in a panic. “You two need to talk, love. I’ll be inside if you need me.” Eren sat up as she stood, and she kissed each of his tear stained cheeks whispering to him “Don’t get angry until you hear him out ok?” He nodded to her and she gave him one more kiss on his forehead. She gave Levi’s hand a reassuring squeeze before she walked inside Eren’s home. “I’ll pick up the kids if you need me to.” Eren heard her tell Levi quietly and saw him give a small nod before she stepped into the home.

Once Hange was gone, Levi cleared the space between them, dropping to his knees in front of him and reaching out to him. Eren didn’t push him away this time, not yet. “I’m sorry Eren. I’m so sorry. I know I fucked up.”

Eren released a shaky breath. “Why did you go? I thought things were better now.” He closed his eyes as he felt the tears begin to form again. He was so tired of crying today. “If it was still a money issue you could have come to me, or Hange if you didn’t want me. I still would’ve helped you.” He fought the urge to pull Levi to him wanting the contact, but still upset enough that he couldn’t do it.

“It’s not that.” Levi said his own voice sounding shaky as well. Eren started to push him away then.

“So, do you just enjoy it then?” _Prefer strangers over me._ He wanted to say but didn’t. He didn’t want to hear the answer.

“God no. Tonight was torture for me.” Eren’s lip twitched and he wanted to start checking Levi for more marks. Levi must have realized this too when he looked up. “Not like that. Just, I never wanted to go back. I swear.” He pulled out something from his back pocket and handed it to him. Eren noticed how badly Levi’s hands shook as he held out whatever it was.

Eren took the crumpled thing from him and looked at it. His eyebrows shot up as he looked at the picture. A woman was naked on a bed, raven locks and a back he was rather familiar with were seated between her thighs. He was about to get pissed asking why Levi was showing him this, that maybe he’d decided to leave him for a woman instead until he recognized the woman’s face. “Is this the kids’ social worker?” Eren asked looking up. Levi’s face was paler than usual while he waited apprehensively.

Levi nodded. “She was a client before everything happened. Before I met you. I didn’t know her name or her profession at the time and was very surprised when I saw her in Erwin’s office.”

“So why show me this now?” Eren asked. His head hurt and he felt stupid for not understanding on his own.

“The owner is blackmailing me with these pictures, and ones like them.” Levi said pointing at the picture. “I don’t know how many she has, but she said if I didn’t go back, she’d release them all.” His voice became unsteady and Levi was crying now too. “If these get released, I’ll lose the kids again and I’ll never get them back this time.” Levi pushed himself between Eren’s thighs and wrapped his arms around his waist. While Eren didn’t comfort him, he didn’t push him away either, his arms lax and his eyes focused on the picture. “I didn’t know what to do, and I didn’t want to bring you into it. I thought I could handle it on my own.”

Eren closed his eyes, finally bringing a hand up to Levi’s head stroking his hair like Hange had done to him earlier. Of course it was for them. Eren wouldn’t have it any other way. Ignoring the pang in his heart thinking of his own mother once more. “How long has this been going on?” He asked.

“She came while I was at the hotel yesterday. She had a different picture then, but it was Petra too.” Levi looked up at him. “I never knew there were pictures being taken. I’ve never seen a camera and the door is always locked. I don’t know if there’s pictures with all my clients or just certain ones. She said she’d give me one picture every night I work now.”

“Doesn’t do much good.” Levi’s eyebrows furrowed and Eren held up the picture. “This is a copy. More than likely from a digital camera from the looks of it. You would need the SD card at best, and that’s not including if they’ve already been uploaded onto a computer somewhere, or worse, loaded to a cloud server.” He doubted the owner would risk putting them on a cloud server though. There was a likelihood of it getting hacked more and this woman seemed like someone who preferred control. He tapped the picture. “This was printed off a home printer not a printing place.”

Levi’s mouth was open in surprise while he spoke. “How do you know all that?”

Eren gave him a weak smile. “Well I did take a photography class remember?”

“So it’s all for nothing?” Levi’s voice raised in frustration. “She’s just going to own me forever now?”

“Oh like hell she is.” Eren said angrily. A plan was already beginning to form in his mind. Annie and Reiner had been scoping the place since Levi’s last night there. They didn’t have enough evidence to move yet, but they wanted to help clean up the police force and knew dirty cops were involved in the place. If she had pictures of Levi, she likely had pictures of all her staff. A way to keep them even if they wanted to leave. “Leave it to me.”

“Eren, I didn’t want you involved.” Levi was apprehensive, and Eren could see his emotions were all over the place. His were as well. At least his anger and frustration had a new target and he had his peace with Levi. He pulled Levi on top of him, the smaller man squawking as the hammock began to swing. Levi positioned himself better so they were both more comfortable and held each other tightly. This was better than lashing out. Eren would take care of it, but it would wait until later.

“Don’t worry. I’m used to people like her. I can handle it.” Eren calmed Levi down and in so doing managed to control his own emotions. He felt Levi go lax above him and assumed he had succumbed to exhaustion. He was beginning to feel rather tired himself. He was surprised when Levi started to speak to him again.

“Why did you come to the house?” Levi asked sitting up enough that he could look at Eren better. “It looked like you had been crying.”

“I found something out. It doesn’t really matter at the moment.” Eren said trying to push away his own worries for now.

“No. Don’t do that.” Levi sat up higher and Eren worried he would try and leave him. “Let me help you for once.”

“You do help. More than you know.” Eren admitted. Last night aside, his dark days had become fewer and far between. His depression more controlled. He hid it well from the world putting on the smiling face and when he felt he couldn’t hide it he avoided those who would be able to tell. He didn’t need to hide anything now. His emotions were genuine. Hange had long since noticed the difference, back to the first day he and Levi had met. This wasn’t enough to appease Levi though. “My brother called me late last night.”

“I didn’t know you had a brother. No one’s mentioned it.”

“He’s really a half brother. We have different mothers and we don’t exactly get along.” His relationship with is half brother was practically non existent. He and his mother wanted nothing to do with him, blaming Eren’s mother for taking his dad away even when he and Dina had been divorced for a couple years before he met Carla. When his dad had gone to jail, Dina had scoffed when Child services had tried to have her take him in. Now that they both were adults, he and Zeke were cordial at best, but still had very little to do with one another. He’d been very surprised to see his older sibling calling. He gave Levi the short version of this, not wanting to dwell on it for very long. “He called to let me know dad made parole.”

Levi sucked in a breath. He knew Levi had an uncle who was as much the boogey man to him as Grisha was to Eren. “You’re dad’s out of jail? Have you told Hange or Erwin?”

Eren shook his head. “I haven’t told anyone.” He shrugged slightly. “He likely won’t come anywhere near me anyways. And it’s not like I’m the frightened little kid anymore. I just panicked last night and didn’t want to be alone. I probably would have reacted better if I hadn’t already been upset that you weren’t there.” Levi appeared upset again and Eren didn’t really want to talk about his father anymore. “Come on, let’s go inside before Hange comes out to get us. I need to change anyways

“Why would you need to change?” Levi asked as he looked down at the blanket then at Eren’s bare arms and wet hair. “What happened?”

Eren looked toward the pool. “Decided it would be fun to jump in with my clothes on. Hindsight not a good idea.” He fished out his phone from his wet pocket. “Broke the phone.”

“I figured you were just ignoring my calls.” Levi pursed his lips and moved to get off Eren.

“I probably would have.” Eren admitted. He was still hurt but in Levi’s defense he had tried to explain, albeit after he’d got caught. He walked ahead of Levi, ignoring the scattered beer bottles for now, now hyperaware of his wet clothes more than when he was lying in his stupor. When he came in through the back door and walked to his room he saw Hange stand up in the living room. He shut his door so he could change and think in peace.

“Eren love, is everything alright now?” Hange asked rapping at his door.

“It’s better Hange, but not alright.” Eren said as he opened his drawer. He threw on a pair of sweatpants for now, fully intending to sleep the rest of the day. Once he was decent, he pulled Hange in with a squeak from her. “Can you still pick the kids up? Watch them tonight?”

“He’s going back again?” Hange asked in hushed tones. “Did he say why?”

Eren nodded. “He told me. It’s for a good reason. One I plan on rectifying quickly.” He ran his hand through his messy hair feeling its dampness. “Right now, I really just want to sleep the rest of the day. I think Levi could use some rest too.”

“So you’ve forgiven him then?” Hange smiled and brushed her thumbs across his face. “You’re such a wonderful boy.”

He kissed the palm of her hand. “It’s not ok, but I’ll look past it for now. I need a little more time with him.”

“And as much as we all love the little ducklings, they’re bound to ask questions.” Hange nodded. “I’m happy to watch them as long as you both need.” She cocked her head at him. “I know something else is bothering you, but I’m not going to push you for now. Just, you know you can’t bottle things up.” Her hands brushed along one of his scars as emphasis.

“I know Hange. I’ll tell you later, I promise. Just let me deal with one thing at a time.” He showed her the wet phone. “And don’t panic if you can’t get a hold of me. I’ll get a new one when I go out later. For now, just call Levi’s phone.”

Hange left him while he searched for a shirt. He could hear her and Levi talking. Then she yelled when she was leaving. Eren gave up on the search for a shirt, not really caring anyways when he opened the door to his bedroom, beckoning Levi to come in. He flopped onto his bed and wrapped himself around his pillow. He heard Levi shuffling but didn’t bother to look his way. He felt the dip of the bed and then Levi’s hands hesitantly reaching out for him.

Eren grabbed Levi’s arm and pulled him close, feeling Levi’s loud exhale on his back, as though he’d been holding his breath waiting for rejection. It wasn’t long before Eren turned to face Levi, their faces so close Eren could feel Levi’s breath on his face. Neither closed the gap. He saw the remorse written all over Levi’s face.

“Are you happy? With me?” Eren asked quietly. His insecurities were running rampant today.

“What? Of course I am.” Levi said, his eyebrows shooting up at the question. He stroked Eren’s hair. “You’re always there for me. Always helping even when I wish you wouldn’t.” He gave a small roll of his eyes and Eren smirked at him. “I’ve never felt like this around anyone else.” He tucked his chin into Eren’s chest. “I was worried I couldn’t fix this and I’d lose you. When she left the hotel yesterday, the first two ideas were to message you to help me or to run away with the kids and just start over someplace else, but I couldn’t imagine leaving you, especially like that. I also didn’t want you to have to try and save me again.”

“I can be your hero baby. I can kiss away the pain.” Eren sang softly in Levi’s ear causing the younger man to laugh. He bit Levi’s earlobe, eliciting a much different response. He flipped them so he was on top of Levi, but hovered over him enough to not smother him with his weight. He kissed Levi as though the man had all the oxygen in the room. He just wanted to erase the pain for a little while and felt a desire to stake a claim on what was his. Fuck that woman. He was normally against hitting a lady, but even if he wouldn’t do it, he was certain he could bribe Hange or Annie to do it for him. She was trying to take what was his and he wouldn’t have it. Levi moaned under him, his hands trailing over Eren’s exposed back. He felt Levi’s blunt nails scraping against his skin as their tongues entwined. He sucked on Levi’s tongue making sure to open his eyes to see his reaction. He was not disappointed to see the look on Levi’s face. Releasing his lips, he kissed down his jawline to his other ear.

“You’re mine. I’m not giving you up without a fight.” He said first kissing, then biting Levi’s pulse point. Nails dug in and Levi keened while his body arched for him. Eren took the opportunity to wrap his hands around him tightly. He continued to lick, kiss, and bite everywhere he had access to, cursing the stupid shirt that was in his way while he bit Levi’s collar bone.

“Yess.” He heard Levi say after a particular bite, Eren satisfied in seeing a small blemish already forming from his intensity. Eren needed Levi to rectify this clothes problem and he gripped onto the shirt, tempted to just rip it. Levi blinked at him a few times, then sat up enough to make it easier to take off his shirt.

“Say it for me.” Eren said biting the opposite pulse point and reaching down to grip Levi’s dick over his pants.

“I’m yours.” Levi moaned grinding his pelvis up to Eren’s hand. “I’m yours and you’re mine.”

“Damn straight. Don’t ever forget it. Or else I’ll need to remind you.” He continued his trail of kisses down his torso.

“Well, in that case, I take it back. Show me.” Eren looked up, seeing a mix of mischief and lust in Levi’s grey eyes. Levi pulled him down so he could play with Eren’s ear with his tongue and talk headily into his ear. “Make it so everyone knows.”

Eren sat up enough so he could get a good view of the man underneath him. “Better be careful what you ask for.” He warned. “I don’t know if I could stop.”

“I don’t want you to. Let go Eren.” Levi’s hands came up to encompass Eren’s face. “I trust you. Always.”

With Levi’s permission, he grabbed both of his wrists and pinned them to the bed. His grip loose enough Levi could escape if he wanted to or panicked. Never wanting Levi to associate him with those who had harmed him. He took one of Levi’s nipples in his mouth and listened to the beautiful sounds Levi made. Levi was like the best dessert he could ask for. His skin tasted sweet even after working in the hotel in the morning. He still smelled the familiar scent of the body wash he used. He felt Levi’s hands grip tightly to his own, entwining their fingers so Eren’s hands were currently just as trapped at Levi’s were. This was a problem since they were both still wearing too many clothes. He took the other nipple into his mouth giving it a gentle bite, enough to make Levi lift his head up from how he had it bent back. He squeezed Levi’s hands and Levi released him. Eren dragged his free hands down the sides of Levi’s rib cage slowly watching the way Levi reacted to his touch.

“Are you like this with the others?” Eren asked. The jealous green bitch coming forth unwanted. He gripped onto Levi’s pants and boxers at the waistline waiting for Levi’s response.

“No. Not like this. It’s all fake for them.” Levi smothered Eren’s face with his hands. “I don’t have to pretend with you.”

With a low growl Eren pulled off Levi’s remaining clothes before pulling his own off and reaching for his nightstand. Levi watched his movements, his now free hand reaching between them both and stroking their members in one hand. “Fuck Levi.” Eren rested his head on Levi’s shoulder getting lost in the sensations. Levi took that time to assault him in return. His free hand tracing everywhere he could reach and his lips found his adam’s apple.

“Eren.” Levi tipped his chin up so they were looking at each other at eye level. Eren would never tire of seeing the flushed cheeks and steel gray eyes blown out with lust. “I love you.” He said so softly that had Eren not seen his lips move, he would have questioned what he heard.

“Say it again.” Eren said, his lips tilting upward moaning as Levi gripped him tighter.

“I love you. I want you. I _need_ you.” Levi’s voice a soft chant. He couldn’t help but engulf the man’s lips, hearing the words he so desperately needed to hear and had feared he’d never hear again after Reiner.

“You’re fucking amazing.” He debated for a brief second to make Levi squirm and not respond. With a kiss to his nose he said what he had known for quite some time now. “I love you too.” As desperately as he wanted to continue he had to make sure Levi was alright with this. He would never want to see that look of despair in his eyes because of something Eren had done. Without words spoken between them, Levi knew Eren was waiting for permission. Levi tucked his knees up higher, giving Eren access to what they both clearly wanted. Saying words similar to the last time, Eren reassured Levi all he needed to do was tell him to stop. As he positioned his first lubed finger near Levi’s entrance, there was a loud thunk at Eren’s door. A second one and Reiner was barreling in shoulder first.

“Jesus fuck Reiner!” Eren said flipping over quickly and covering them both up. “What the hell? And what the fuck did you do to my door you giant oaf?”

“Ah, sorry.” Reiner said looking everywhere but at them. “You weren’t answering your phone, and no one could find you in your usual places. I-ah. I got worried that-well-you know.”

“Congratulations dickwad. I’m not trying to off myself again.” Eren said with an exasperated sigh. “Did you break my other door too?”

“No. I still have a key.” Reiner said rubbing the back of his neck and looking at the ceiling.

“Which you will now be leaving behind.” Reiner seemed to be making no move to leave. “Get out Reiner! This ain’t a damn free show!” Eren’s temper increased when Annie popped her head in. “That’s it. I’m moving.”

“Like I haven’t seen your ass before or anything.” Annie said icily as she glared at Levi. “Did your boyfriend tell you where he was last night?”

Eren rubbed his face. “We’ve discussed it.” Levi said finding his voice and matching Annie’s glare with one of his own.

“Ah. So, we’ve moved on to make up sex then?”

“That was the fucking intention until I had a goddamn audience.” Eren muttered. Louder he said. “I’m alive and well, and not high. Can you both leave now?”

“There’s something else I need to talk to you about. It’s about your father.” Annie said not budging while Reiner was still very interested in Eren’s ceiling.

“I already know about that too. Zeke called me last night.” He heard Reiner’s intake of breath. Most of his friends knew about his relationship with his half brother. Clearly he wasn’t the only one surprised Zeke reached out.

“You need to get a restraining order on him.” Annie said unperturbed.

Eren threw his head back on the pillows. “I’m not worried about him Annie. I was upset last night, but I’m fine now. I’m not the scared little kid anymore. He comes near me, he’ll regret it.” He felt Levi’s hand snake into his own under the covers.

“Unless you freeze up.” Annie countered.

“Fine. I’ll fill out the damn paperwork. Just leave already. And make sure he leaves his damn key.”

“Why didn’t you answer your phone Eren?” Rather than Annie leaving, she seemed to be edging her way into the bedroom. “You know you can’t ignore us, especially when we’re all calling you.”

“I dropped my phone in some water.” Annie glared at him.

“When you get pneumonia from being in that pool too late in the season, don’t expect my boyfriend to come play nurse.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it. Now will you get out?” Eren tossed a pillow at them, knowing Annie would catch it which she did easily.

“I’ll leave the papers on the table. Don’t think we’re done yet Jaegar.” Annie grabbed Reiner’s arm and pulled the man out with her. Eren could feel the vibrations from Levi chuckling next to him.

“And you’re getting me a new door!” He yelled out. Turning his attention to Levi he asked. “What the hell’s so funny?”

“I don’t even think I locked the door.” Levi said quietly still laughing at what just happened. “you have some rather interesting friends.”

“Well that’s putting it nicely.” Eren rolled onto his side exasperated that the mood was now gone. “I’d threaten to return the favor, but I don’t want Annie to castrate me and I’d really rather not see Bert and Reiner together.” He shuddered and Levi tried to straighten his hair while they listened to make sure the idiots were gone. Now Eren was tired and left feeling unfulfilled. Levi seemed to feel the same way, but still wanted whatever contact Eren was willing to give. They lied wrapped around one another, Levi’s head tucked under Eren’s so he could feel Levi’s breath on his chest. With the bedroom door now open, it wasn’t long before his runt of a kitten made its way his way in. He swatted at Eren’s face. Eren growled back at him.

“No I’m not giving you more food Heichou.” The cat meowed at him. “Go to sleep.”

“Heichou? What kind of name is that?” Levi asked looking up at the black cat with eyes almost like his own.

Eren shrugged. “Beats me. Kids named it remember. Something about a tv show they like to watch. He seems to like it, when he’s not being a grumpy ass anyways.”

“Sorry he’s a pain. I know you just did it to make the kids happy.”

“I’m used to him now. I actually like having someone around who relies on me.” Eren closed his eyes fighting back sleep for now. “It’s nice to know someone’s waiting for me when I come home.”

Levi looked up at him sadly, tightening his hold. “There’s a lot of people who care about you.”

“I know. At least most of the time I do.” He played with Levi’s undercut. “Don’t you start worrying about me too. I don’t need someone else on the suicide watch list.” He kissed the top of Levi’s head.

“As long as you agree to tell me if you feel like it again.” Levi compromised. “I have a hard time imagining my life without you.”

“Well stop imagining it. I’m not going anywhere. Can’t say I won’t get pissed or disappear for a day or two, but I’ll always come back, as long as you’ll have me.” He yawned loudly. Heichou had taken residence at the top of his pillow, watching him intently. Levi’s breath was slowing down and he assumed he would fall asleep soon if he hadn’t already. “Get some sleep. We’ll talk more when it’s time to get up.” He felt Levi nod his head into his chest.

\--------

Eren drove Levi to the brothel later that night. The two had talked more when they woke. While Eren refused to say much about his plan, he did say he’d need a day or two to put it in motion. Which meant both of them having to put up with Levi working for a couple more nights at least. He could tell Eren was anxious. His hand gripped the steering wheel harder than he needed to.

“I should just pay to be a client tonight.”

“I would prefer you didn’t.” Levi said looking over. “I don’t want to associate any part of our relationship with that place. Besides Elise would try to trap you somehow.”

“Oh? Why do you say that?”

“She likes to collect rare things, and in her business that means people.” Levi ran a hand over Eren’s skin. The contrast between Eren’s sun kissed tan and Levi’s pale skin always entranced him. “Your eyes and your complexion would be what she wanted. She uses bird metaphors with me. Calling me little bird or her raven.”

Eren hummed and Levi worried his boyfriend was about to do something dangerous. He reiterated to Eren to stay away from Elise, the older man nodding but not verbally agreeing which made Levi more anxious.

“Remember, you promised to call if _he_ shows up, or if you have anyone else like him.” Levi knew Eren wasn’t happy about this at all, and Levi had a sense of unease as well. He knew Elise wanted him back so she could call her higher paying clients, so it was only a matter of time. He hoped to make it long enough for Eren to do whatever he had planned. They’d stopped to pick Eren up a new phone so Levi could reach him. He doubted his boyfriend would sleep much tonight, their few hours not really enough to sustain for long. “Worst case I just drive the car through the shit hole. Oops. Brakes didn’t seem to work.”

“Don’t do anything reckless. I don’t think you’d look good in orange.” Levi kissed him. He felt some of Eren’s tension ebb away in the kiss but then return when Levi broke it off, his hand on the door handle. Eren’s eyes weren’t focused on him, they were looking at someone else.

“We’re popular today. Can’t seem to be anywhere without an audience.” Levi turned to see what Eren was looking at. Elise was standing outside smoking a cigarette. Her head cocked to the side and her cruel smile broadened when she saw him. How he had been tricked by her in the first place was anyone’s guess, although he didn’t recall her being this bad in years past.

“That her?” Eren asked still leaning into Levi his eyes watching her like a lion does its prey. Levi nodded. “I’d pay to see Annie wipe that look off her face.”

“Hmm. I would too.” Levi agreed “Hurry up and get out of here before she gets too interested.”

“Fine.” Eren said with a huff. He pulled down Levi’s shirt so the marks he’d left on Levi’s skin were visible. “That’s better.” Levi rolled his eyes at him as he got out of the car. “Call me when you’re done. I’ll come get you.”

“You need to get some sleep Eren.”

“Shh. Just call.” Eren gave one more wave and a pointed look at Elise before he drove off.

“So that’s who’s gained my raven’s attention. He’s handsome. Honestly, I always assumed you just tolerated men, not that you were interested in them.” Levi tried to ignore Elise as he walked in but she grabbed his wrist and ran a hand along one of Eren’s marks. “He doesn’t know how to play nicely with his toys does he? Perhaps, I’ll pay him a visit.”

Levi’s anger rose and he pushed Elise up against the wall. Her eyes widened in surprise. “Come anywhere near him and it will be the last thing you do.” Levi warned. He wasn’t about to let Eren get trapped by her.

“My, my. And this whole time I thought you were a loner. Now you have this mysterious man in your life and those darling children. He pushed his forearm into her neck when she mentioned them and she wheezed, showing a small hint of fear. She had come out here without her usual protection. She tapped on his arm in surrender and he took away his arm, still holding her against the wall.

“Fine. I get it. They’re off limits. Behave and they remain so.” She said as she rubbed her neck. “I didn’t think you had it in you little bird.”

“You don’t know anything about me. Don’t pretend to.” Levi said releasing her and walking in.

“Your reward for coming today is already in your room waiting dearie.” Levi stopped, hoping she didn’t mean a client was already in there. He pulled out his phone as he walked in, making sure Eren’s number was only a push of a button away. Even if he couldn’t actually talk to him, he knew Eren would come back if he called. He didn’t like the idea of needing him, but preferred it over the alternative. He opened his room, releasing a sigh of relief when no one was in there waiting. An envelope was on the bed. He took it and looked at the new picture. Instead of focusing on the contents he started to look around the room for where the camera might have been. Looking at the picture’s angle, he turned and looked around the wall. He found what he was looking for, a small hole was in the wall. Large enough for a lens to come through. There was nothing there right now. Levi grabbed a scarf off the chair and shoved it into the hole, creeped out of the idea of being watched. He looked around the room some more and noticed something on the ceiling near the bed, but it was too high for him to reach even if he moved the chair.

One of Elise’s henchmen opened the door and Levi glared at the man waiting for him to speak.

“Your first client is here.” He said. Levi could feel his eyes roving over him. He suppressed a shudder and put on his best mask that he could.

“Well I guess it’s time to play then.”

\--------

Eren walked into the gym with Levi by his side. The others were already here. He could see Reiner hitting a punching bag that Bert tried to hold still for him, while Annie and Armin were stretching nearby.

“What is this some weird couples date?” Eren asked as he walked up next to Armin and Annie, his gym bag slung on his shoulders.

“Well, we’re all barely off at the same time anymore.” Annie glared over at Reiner and Bert. “Although I’m seeing way too much of him nowadays.” She turned her attention back to her boyfriend. “I demand a vacation.”

“Fine dear. We’ll go on a vacation once this case of yours is closed.” Armin said rolling his eyes. From the looks of it, this had been a conversation they had had before.

“You ready for this Levi?” Annie asked standing up and twisting her torso.

“Sure.” With a small wave, Levi followed Annie to the mats. She helped him put on his gear while Eren tossed his bag against the wall by the others. He and Armin went to the treadmills, putting them on a fast walk while they warmed up.

“Annie told me what happened. That’s really shitty. You both can’t seem to catch a break lately.” Armin said. “Reiner wouldn’t shut up about it. He and Annie got into a huge fight at the house. She had to explain to him why you didn’t break up with Levi when you broke up with him.”

“You’re kidding right? It’s not really the same thing. And how’d Bert handle this little conversation?”

“Eh. You’ll notice he’s hovering around Reiner now. Don’t expect to come anywhere near Reiner without Bert around for awhile. That’s what Annie was trying to get him to see too. Although you still have to be bothered by it right?”

“I am which is why I’m going to fix it.”

Armin stopped his treadmill and looked over at his childhood friend. “Eren Jaegar. What do you have planned?”

“Best you don’t know.” Armin looked up at the ceiling and gave an exasperated sigh. “Hey at least I’m thinking before doing right? Still, may not be a bad idea to have bail money ready.”

“Just don’t go murdering anyone.” Armin said with a huff turning his treadmill back on. Eren increased the speed of his so he was at a run now and Armin soon joined his pace. They heard a loud yelp and both looked over just in time to see Levi tossing Reiner onto the mat.

“Holy shit. You said he didn’t fight before.”

“As far as I know he doesn’t know how. Other than some scrap fighting at best.” Eren couldn’t help the smile that formed when he saw Levi’s shocked face. Reiner growled and charged at Levi, and Levi was quick on his feet sidestepping him. Annie clapped on the edge of the mats.

“He’s a natural then. Even Annie looks impressed.” Armin said his breathing coming out in huffs. Eren looked over at him with a smile still plastered on his face.

“Getting out of shape Artlet?”

“Oh shut up. I’ve never been able to keep up with the three of you beasts. And yes. It’s been awhile since I’ve been to the gym. Work and all.”

“Ah the woes of adulthood.” Eren said with a laugh. He turned his attention back to Levi and Annie. She was showing him something else, Levi’s eyes were watching her intently and he’d nod periodically. Bert was sitting on the floor by the wall watching Levi like a hawk when Reiner went back onto the mat. When he brought his arm around Levi’s neck Eren fought the urge to jump off the treadmill. He didn’t really like the idea of seeing his ex and Levi so close to one another.

Armin must have sensed his unease. “They’re just practicing. Don’t worry. I don’t think Reiner is much of his type anyways. It wasn’t long before Levi had broken loose of the headlock and now had Reiner’s hand pinned behind his back. “Damn. He’s catching on quick.”

Annie shooed away Reiner and she and Levi remained on the mat. Eren watched as he matched her move for move. She’d only need to show him once or twice before he did the same thing almost perfectly. Eren stared in awe at his short boyfriend. Not only did he catch on, but his movement’s were lightning fast. Feeling sorry for Armin, he turned off his treadmill beckoning the blo”nde to come with him. He grabbed a water bottle from his bag and tossed one at Armin who barely caught it, his hair covered in sweat already.

“So, vacation huh?” Eren waggled his eyebrows at Armin. “You going to pop the question then?”

“If I live that long. The longer this case goes on the more irritated she gets.”

“Sorry about that. It’s kinda my fault they took the case on.” Eren admitted sheepishly. “I just wanted to try and do it the right way you know. Instead of going in and busting shit up.”

“It’s fine. I think that place needs shut down too. I’m sure there’s a lot of people who are like Levi that work there. She seems like the type to prey on the weak and helpless. Those that have nothing will grasp at whatever they can. But he has something now.” He smiled and pulled out his phone from his pocket. “You want to see the ring?”

“Fuck me. You finally got one?” Eren asked getting closer as Armin pulled up the picture. Eren smiled and nodded. It was modest, but suited Annie well. The band was silver while there was a cluster of citrine and aquamarine stones rather than a diamond. The colors went well with Annie and Armin’s hair. Eren nodded his approval.

“What are you two looking at?” Annie asked and Armin fumbled to try to hide his phone from her.

“Boobs.” Eren replied quickly getting a small bark from Annie and a blushed look from Armin.

“You, looking at boobs?”

“Hey, just because I’m gay doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate them.” Annie let out another laugh again.

“Fine. Don’t tell me.” Annie said crossing her arms. “You suck at lying Jaegar. Whatever gift he’s planning better be worth it.”

“Done already?” Eren asked surprised.

“Taking a breather. I think I found a new sparring partner.”

“He seemed to be catching on very quickly.” Armin said. “We were able to see a little bit while we were running.”

“I got to see Reiner fly. That was priceless. I wish someone could have taken a picture of that for me.” Eren said with a laugh.

“You want to go for a round or two? He seems to catch on just from watching and I could use the break from sparring with Reiner.”

Eren rolled his shoulders. “Yeah I suppose.” He tossed his water bottle back at Armin.

“Go back to looking at your other boobs Ar.” Annie said while she walked away. “Just remember, you can look but you can’t touch. I’ll castrate you.”

Armin’s hand went to cover his dick reflexively and Eren laughed. He tossed his shirt onto the ground and put on his gloves and helmet quickly. Annie was already on the mat waiting for him. Her hands up in a defensive stance.

“Don’t try to go easy on me Jaegar.”

“Funny. I was about to tell you the same thing.” He threw the first punch while she dodged him. He was quick to get out of her grasp before she could try and grab onto his arm. The two skated around one another before Annie tried to punch him. He was able to arch back so she didn’t connect. Soon they were exchanging punches, but few actually landed since they were both good at evasion. Eren could see the others watching. Reiner was yelling out instructions to both of them and Eren felt Levi’s eyes on him. Armin was yelling encouragement to his girlfriend earning him a hurt look from Eren.

“Sorry Eren. I sleep with her.” Eren heard Reiner laugh and clap Armin on the back saying something about happy wife happy life.

Annie’s leg swung behind his own when he reached out to punch her he felt his world go vertical and he hit the mat hard. Even with the helmet on his head hurt from the impact. Eren looked up at Annie’s smug face while she held out a hand to him. He took it, rubbing the back of his head.

“You still get distracted too easily.” Annie said with a smile. “Still I’d hate to be against you when you went all out.” She punched his arm playfully. “Don’t think I didn’t realize you pull your punches.”

Eren smiled back and took his helmet and gloves off still rubbing his head. Levi came up to him, his hand running through Eren’s hair. Eren closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation and soon forgetting about the pain.

“I don’t feel a bump.” Levi said

“I’ll be fine. It’s not the first time I’ve fallen flat on my ass thanks to her.”

“And likely won’t be the last.” Annie said with a smile. “I’m calling it quits for the day. I want to get some sleep in before our shift tonight.”

“Thanks Annie.” Levi said she gave him a small wave. Armin entwined his hand with hers as they left Armin saying goodbye to both of them.

“Well, I guess we’ll be going too.” Reiner said

“Don’t forget you owe me a door.”

“Why do you owe him a door?” Bert asked as they walked away. Eren smiled. He debated being a nuisance but decided against it. He had a feeling Reiner would end up digging his own hole without him anyways.

“Anything you want to do before we go home?” Eren asked suppressing a yawn. Between last night and they day before he was running on fumes.

“I’m good. Lets get home and shower so you can get some sleep before the kids get home from school.” Levi picked up his shirt with a smirk. “Although if you don’t get this back on soon, you may not get much sleep anyways.”

“Tempting. Especially after our rude interruption yesterday.” Eren said with a smile. “I think sleep’s going to win today though. Only a small nap. I have some things I need to take care of later. Did today help you at all?” Eren asked changing the subject. “Looked like you’ve been holding out on me.”

“I swear I’ve never done any of that. Annie accused me of lying too.” Levi said as they walked to Eren’s car. “It felt natural though. I can’t say I’d do well in a fight, but I can at least hold my own and stop someone until someone else gets there.”

“She told you how to break someone’s nose right?”

“Yeah. She showed me some quick self defense moves and showed me where pressure points were. I asked her how to break a headlock.” Levi looked away from Eren anxiously. “I know it’s not really fair for me to ask, but you and Reiner, you’re done right?”

“What? Of course we are.”

“Even if he were to leave Bert?”

“Yes. It doesn’t matter if he’s with Bert or not. Did he say something?”

“No. it’s just the way he looks at you still. And he obviously doesn’t like me.”

“He’s apparently irritated I forgave you but didn’t forgive him from what Armin said. He and Annie were fighting about it today. Blockhead still doesn’t see what he did wrong.” Eren released a puff of air while he turned on the car. “You don’t have anything to worry about with me. When I’m in a relationship, I’m all in.” He gripped Levi’s hand tightly and kissed his check before pulling out of the parking lot and making his way to Levi’s house.

“Good. It just seems like he’s starting to realize what he lost. I didn’t want to get in the way if that’s what you wanted.” Levi gripped his hand tighter. “But I’m jealous too and I don’t want to lose you.”

“Well you don’t need to worry about it. Even if he’s interested again.” He kissed Levi’s hand as he drove. “He has a wandering eye. He’ll either get over it, or Bert will see what it’s like to be in my shoes. Either way, it’s not going to be me he’s with. And that would be the case even if you and I weren’t together.

“Sure you don’t want someone with boobs?” Levi asked with a smirk and Eren laughed.

“Armin was showing me the ring he picked out for Annie. I panicked. While I do appreciate them, I much prefer what you have to offer me instead.” He winked at Levi earning an eye roll before Levi turned to look out the window.

When they got to Levi’s house, they took turns showering before climbing into bed together. Levi set an alarm for when they would need to pick the kids up and it wasn’t long before both were sound asleep in each other’s arms.


	21. Chapter 21

Eren had to leave before the kids were done with school, his phone waking both from their nap. He apologized to Levi, both for not picking up the kids and not being able to take Levi to work tonight. Levi didn’t really mind. He was used to walking and he used the time to clear his head. Sasha and Connie were sitting outside on a bench with 2 other kids their age. Mikasa was holding onto Jean’s hand while Jean talked to Marco from work. He smiled when he saw them all. He had missed them for even the short time he didn’t see them yesterday. Mikasa was the first to see him approaching and pulled on Jean’s hand. Jean looked back, his lips tightening to a thin line while he saw the teen’s eyes inspecting him.

“Levi!” Sasha yelled and waved to him until he was standing in front of them. Mikasa had run to him and he picked her up while he listened to Sasha. “This is Ymir and Krista. They want to invite us to a sleepover this weekend. Can we go?”

“I don’t see the problem with it. I’ll need to talk to the parents first.” Krista handed him an envelope shyly.

“Mom said to give this to the parents.” Krista said with a big smile. Levi shifted Mikasa so he could open the envelope she looked at it while he read it. Apparently, Krista was new, and her mother wanted her class to get to know her better so the parents were inviting everyone to come. Her mother promised there would be adult supervision and she’d make any accommodations needed. Her phone number was at the bottom. Levi made a mental note to call her.

“Connie do you want to go too?”

Connie kicked his feet. “I don’t know. I think it’s mostly going to be the girls. I already get teased a lot because Sasha and I always hang out together.”

Levi held up a hand when Sasha tried to protest. “If you don’t want to go that’s fine. We can have a boys night.”

“Mikasa can come to the sleepover if she wants too.” Krista said with a smile. “I know she’s younger, but I don’t have a problem with it.”

Mikasa was already shaking her head on Levi’s shoulder. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, but thank you for the offer.” Sasha was already trying to persuade Connie to come with her, even offering some of her food to him.

“You plan on being home today?” Jean asked “Um, Marco and I have the day off so we were going to go out.”

Levi smiled at both of them nodding. “Sure. Just don’t be late.” He turned his attention to Marc giving him a playful glare. “10pm sharp.”

“Yes sir!” Marco said stepping behind Jean who was rolling his eyes at his guardian. He gave a small wave while he and Marco went to Marco’s car.

A car honked and Krista jumped up. “Coming mom!” She grabbed the girls hand next to her and they ran toward the car laughing. “Thanks Sasha’s dad!”

Connie and Sasha jumped up after they left, Sasha holding onto Levi’s hand and Connie walking beside them. Levi made small talk with them asking how their day went and what they learned. Sasha was always happy to tell him about her day in very vivid detail. Connie would interject when Sasha got something wrong or missed something.

“I need something for show and tell.” Mikasa said looking at Levi.

“Ok. We’ll think of something. What about one of your favorite books? Or maybe we can cook something for you to take?” Mikasa nodded at the ideas. “When is this?”

“Friday.”

Levi nodded back to her. “Plenty of time for us to think then yes? It will be fine Mika.”

“Where were you yesterday?” Connie asked looking up. “Hange stayed with us all day and night.”

“Sorry. I had to go back to work. It’s only for a little bit though.” Levi hoped he wasn’t lying. He saw Connie frown and rub his head. “Don’t worry. It’s fine. You just be a kid.”

Connie grumbled while Levi pulled his keys out of his pocket and handed them to Connie telling him to open the door for them.

“Get your homework done before Hange comes over.” Levi said as he made his way to the kitchen after setting Mikasa down. He looked in the fridge deciding what to cook. He found all the ingredients for chicken tacos and started preparing everything. Sasha came over to the table and would ask him questions about her homework while he cooked. He gave her a small snack while she waited for dinner which she munched on happily.

“Hello my lovelies!” Hange said coming in the doorway. “Mmm. Smells good what are you making?”

“You’re here early.” Levi said as Hange hovered over him.

“I was bored, so I came to visit before you leave.” Hange said while she tried to grab a pepper from the skillet. “Ow so hot!”

“It’s over a stove Hange, of course it’s hot.” Hange was sucking on her finger looking like a scolded child. “Sometimes I worry about leaving the kids with you.”

“They love me don’t you darlings? Where’s Jean? He said he was off tonight?” Hange asked looking around.

“He and Marco were going out.”

“Oooh? On a date?” Hange asked wide eyed pulling Levi into a tight hug. “Our little boy is growing up so fast!”

“Let go four eyes.” Levi said trying to shrug her off. “Speaking of dates, any progress on the Erwin front?”

“A lady never kisses and tells.” Hange said with a wink. Levi took it as they were official now which would explain the extra perk in her step. He’d have to let Eren know when he saw him again. “What about you, you get everything patched up yesterday?” She jumped onto the counter ignoring Levi’s glare when she did so.

Levi nodded. “Thanks, by the way for watching them so I could fix it.”

“Are you going to tell me why you went back?” Hange asked watching him as he cooked.

“No. It won’t be long though hopefully.” Levi sighed. “The owner has something on me. She threatened to have the kids taken away if I didn’t. That’s all you’re getting.”

“Want me to go _talk_ to her?” Levi turned to see Hange’s eyes were dark and frightening. “No one messes with my boys.”

“Eren said he was handling it. Although he won’t tell me how.”

“Then it’s probably for the best. Eren can get a little, protective, of the people he cares about. He’s likely going to do something stupid. Not to worry though. Erwin and I have plenty of money saved up for bail and a lawyer if needed. Erwin’s had one on retainer since Eren was a teenager.”

“I kinda wish I knew teenage Eren.” Levi took the food off the skillet and started making the dishes calling the kids over to the table. Mikasa’s he put in a bowl instead of on a taco shell. After dinner he napped on the couch while the kids watched a movie and played a quick game before bedtime. Mikasa was starting to do more on her own now so he just ran her water for her and sat in the bathroom talking to her while she cleaned herself up and got ready for bed. Sasha went in next while Levi read a story to Mikasa to help her fall asleep, her lips curled up in a smile. Sasha was quiet when she came in their room. She didn’t even bother going up to her bed, just crawled in behind Mika.

“You don’t need to sleep with her if you don’t want to Sash.” Levi said quietly.

“I like to. It makes me feel more comfortable when I sleep with someone else and she sleeps better this way.” Sasha yawned “Night Levi.”

“Night Sash.” He kissed her cheek and smiled at his girls. Connie was in the shower singing to himself so Levi waited for him in his room. It wasn’t long before he came in still singing whatever song it was, buttoning up his pajama top. He smiled at Levi as he walked to his bed climbing under the sheets while Levi pulled them up to his chest for him.

“Be careful at work.” Connie said

“I will. Eren’s friend Annie taught me some new moves today. Just in case.”

“Really? Are you going to be a badass?” Connie asked excitedly.

“Language.” Levi admonished lightly. “And I wouldn’t say that. But I’ll be able to take care of myself, and any of you if I need to.”

“I still think you should get a sword or some knives.” Levi kissed his forehead with a chuckle.

Levi went to his room and threw on one of his hoodies over top his clothes. Hange had a movie on while she sat on the couch eating some of the leftovers from dinner.

“Jean should be home by 10.” Levi told her.

“Do I get to be the angry parent if he’s not home by then?” Hange asked excitedly. “Do I get to ground him?”

“I highly doubt he’ll be late. But sure have at it if he is. Something tells me your punishment would be worse than mine anyways.” He gave her a wave and text Eren to let him know he was leaving. Eren didn’t respond his whole walk to the brothel. As he approached he saw flashing lights. He threw his hood up so he could walk closer trying to figure out what was going on. He saw several cops milling about in front of the brothel with some fire fighters before Annie was in front of him, spinning him around and taking him toward the parking lot.

“I’ve been looking for you. Just sit in the back seat and if anyone comes by put your hands behind your back like you’re cuffed.” Annie said as she opened the back door of an unmarked car.

“What happened?” Levi asked. “Have you heard from Eren?”

“He’s here somewhere. I’m sure he wouldn’t miss this.” Annie said, her lip twitching in almost a smile. “There was a fire. Not a big one, but enough that we deemed it suspicious. So naturally, we needed to investigate.” Annie turned her back to the car so she could still look out. “Reiner’s looking for evidence now.”

“I think I found where the cameras were last night.” He could tell Annie was listening to him even though she wasn’t looking his way. He gave a description of his room and where he saw them. Annie radioed it in to Reiner. It wasn’t long before he responded he had found them along with a hidden hallway between the rooms where the equipment was. Levi sat in the car and waited anxiously. Annie had left to go inside and help with the investigation. Levi couldn’t hide the smile when he saw Annie roughly holding onto Elise while the woman struggled and argued with her. She broke free and tried to claw at Annie, but Annie grabbed her wrist and twisted it behind her slamming her on the car hood of one of the cop cars by the entrance. He could vaguely hear Annie reading her her rights as she continued to struggle and swear at Annie and threatening her while she was pushed into the back seat.

“Such a pretty sight don’t you think?” Eren asked sliding into the front seat in front of him. He smelled like smoke and was currently wearing a cop outfit.

“Why the hell are you wearing that?”

“To blend in of course.” Eren was holding something in his hand and looked at Levi like he asked something crazy. “I wanted to go in and take a look myself. Crashed her computer and took all the files onto here.”

“I don’t know whether to kiss you or scream at you for being so reckless.” Levi said resting his head on the back seat in a huff.

“If I have a choice I prefer the kissing, although if you want to punish me for being a bad boy I’m ok with that too.” Eren winked at him and Levi blushed.

“Do I want to know why you smell like smoke?”

“I started the fire. Nothing much so it can’t be traced back as arson. Just a stray candle put a little too close to some curtains. It was honestly too easy.” Eren smiled happily at himself. “I also called 911. With someone else’s phone of course. Would hate for the place to burn down completely before the cops could get the evidence they needed.”

“Is it wrong I’m kinda turned on right now?” Levi asked and Eren turned back to him grinning.

“Like the bad boy hmm? Or is it the cop outfit?”

“A little bit of both. I think.” Levi shifted in the backseat while Eren chuckled. His eyes practically glowing in the darkness of the parking lot. They watched as more of the people were brought out. Levi sucked in his breath when he recognized the man Reiner was leading out.

“What?” Eren asked looking back.

“It’s him. The one with Reiner. Fuck I dodged a bullet tonight.” Levi slammed his head on the backseat, his breath becoming unsteady as the man from his nightmares was being led to one of the cars.

“I’ll be back.” Eren said and Levi reached out to him gripping onto his wrist before he could get out of the car.

“Stay here. Please.” Levi begged feeling one of his panic attacks coming on. Eren looked torn but finally nodded, pulling out his phone instead while he stroked Levi’s arm.

“It’s ok. He’s going to jail. He’s not going to touch you again.” Eren said soothingly. “Too bad I didn’t know sooner.” Annie walked over to Reiner while he still held onto the well dressed businessman. Reiner nodded and then he was a little rougher than he may have needed to be while he put him in the backseat of one of the cars. Levi was able to calm himself down once he no longer saw the man.

“What about the other workers?” Levi asked as he came down from his attack. He saw some of the people he worked with by the entrance. None of them were in cuffs, and those that were more scantily clad were given blankets, some were even smoking while they waited.

“I heard the chief say he wasn’t interested in them. They’re taking their testimonies now. As long as they cooperate with the investigation they’re off the hook, worst case a minor misdemeanor. It helps a lot of them have been working since they were underage. I heard someone say that they came back because they were being blackmailed too.”

“And the clients?” Levi couldn’t help but think of ones like Petra. “Most of them are just lonely people, not the sadistic assholes.”

“The ones here will likely be charged” Annie said as she got into the other front seat. “But we’re mainly focused on the ones that have influence and the cops that were working to keep places like this quiet. Even the pictures were taken without anyone’s consent. So they’re more evidence against the owner than the clients themselves. Still it will be a matter of time before the prosecutor decides what to do.” Annie glared at Eren. “What the hell are you still doing here. And impersonating an officer no less? Reiner and I can’t protect you if you get caught right now.”

Eren shrugged. “I should be in jail for a lot worse. So if this is what makes me go I’m cool with it. Besides, dad’s out now so I don’t have to worry about running into him now right?” Eren let out a laugh while Annie continued to glare. “What? It’s not like I can just get in my car and go. I’ve got to wait until the place clears out. Besides I wouldn’t miss this show for the world.”

“I swear Jaegar. You’re going to be the death of me someday.” Annie said pinching the bridge of her nose. Just stay here out of trouble.”

“Yes ma’am.” Eren said with a mock salute.

“Annie. Do you need me to go with the other workers to testify?”

“No. They’re giving us enough. If we need anything I’ll let you know. Just steer clear of all this mess.” Annie got back out of the car. “And keep this overgrown puppy in check will you? Jaegar, you owe me big time for this one.”

“Name the time and place and I’ll pay the expenses for you and Armin’s vacation.” Eren replied sweetly. Annie gave a nod back as she walked back to the others. “I fucking love my friends sometimes.”

“Are you going to pay for Reiner’s vacation too.”

“Nope. He still owes me a door. And this makes us even for all the shit he put me through, maybe I’ll give him a discount on my realtor fees when he decides to buy a house. Besides, he’s more willing to break the rules when it suits him to than Annie is. It’s why they work well together. She keeps him in line. Where as he probably would have been kicked off the force for beating someone up by now if he were partnered with someone else.” The cop cars were starting to leave now and it was getting quieter. Only a few cops remained. A tall lanky man with a horrible excuse for a beard, a couple suited men, Reiner and Annie and a bald man who was smiling next to the lanky guy. The workers were making their way to their cars as well. Eren ducked down in the front seat while they left. It was Reiner who came back to the car this time grabbing a coffee thermos from the front seat.

“We’re going to be here for awhile, but everyone that’s left is going inside now. Time for both of you to leave. Where is your car parked?”

“Down a couple blocks. I wasn’t about to have anyone run my plates.”

“You are oddly good at this.” Reiner said appreciatively.

“Picked up a few tricks here and there in my youth.” Eren said with a smile. He took off the cop shirt and handed it back to Levi. “Shove this under your hoodie.”

Levi did as he was told. Eren was wearing a tight black shirt underneath. Without the cop shirt, he could blend in while they walked down the street. Reiner bid them farewell saying he’d be in touch if he needed anything from Levi.

Once they were in Eren’s car, Levi gripped onto Eren’s face and pulled him into a kiss. While Eren was surprised, it wasn’t long before he was returning the kiss, his hands going to Levi’s back and into his hair. They broke off both gasping. Before Levi hit him in his shoulder.

“What the hell was that for?” Eren asked rubbing where Levi hit.

“For you being an idiot. The kiss was a thank you for being my idiot.”

“Well I’m always yours.” Eren said with a smile. “Where to? Your place or mine?”

“Yours. I don’t want the kids hearing anything.”

“Punishment or reward? Or both?” Eren teased as he drove home.

“I’m thinking both, and I wouldn’t mind seeing a bit of that bad boy again.”

“Fuck me.” Eren said with a wide grin. “I’m going to commit crimes for you more often if this is what I get for it.”

“No more crimes for me.” Levi said hitting him lightly again. “Just be my boyfriend from now on.”

“Sounds like the perfect plan to me.”

\--------

Eren was sitting outside smoking when he saw Reiner pull in with his truck, a new door in the bed of it. He had taken Levi home earlier so he’d be there when the kids woke up and he could go to work after. Eren had a few home viewings to do today anyways, but agreed to coming over to Levi’s home for dinner when he was done.

“I thought you stopped smoking awhile ago.” Reiner said walking up to him and envelope in his hand.

“I still have one when I’m stressed every once in awhile. Better than the alternative.” He blew out a puff of smoke away from Reiner as he took a seat across from him.

“Levi here?” Reiner asked looking around.

“No. He’s probably at work now.”

“Good.” Reiner nodded and slid the envelope to Eren. “These are the pictures we found. There’s a couple DVD’s in there also of videos that were taken. Your boyfriend has a nice ass.” Reiner said appreciatively.

“Which you will never see in person.” Eren warned. Reiner put his hands up in surrender. Eren pulled out his lighter and put it against the edge of the envelope.

“You’re not even the least bit interested?” Reiner asked as he watched the envelope go up in flames and fall onto the metal table.

“Nope. Don’t want to see any of them, and I’m not about to have something that can be used against Levi later.”

“We had to keep one of the videos. The one with the businessman.” Eren looked up at Reiners face that had paled. “That thing was fucking hard to watch. Annie ended up leaving in the middle of it.”

“Glad I didn’t see it then. I’d probably be arrested for murder.” Eren said. “Will it be used against Levi at all?”

“No. You barely ever see his face. It’s obvious the owner was more interested in blackmailing her clients if she needed to than her workers. Dok and Pixus see him and a lot of the other workers as victims. We may need him to testify if he goes to court, but it will be anonymous.”

“As long as he never goes in the same room as that prick.” Eren agreed throwing his cigarette butt over the remains of the burning envelope.

“We even now?” Reiner asked leaning back in the chair.

“Yeah. We’re good. We were before honestly.” Eren ran his hand through his hair. “I’ve been over it for awhile, other than the self-hatred. You’re better off with him than you were me.”

“I really didn’t want to hurt you. I didn’t know how to break it off with you, and I was worried what you might do if I did break up. Turns out I was right to worry.” Reiner’s eyes trailed to Eren’s wrists that were covered by his long sleeves. “You seem a lot better though, with Levi. Calmer.”

“Meaning we’re not trying to rip each other’s heads off or getting into shouting matches every day?” Eren laughed and Reiner joined him. “Yeah, I guess you could say he calms me then. Or else I finally just grew up.”

“I know it’s really late to say this, but you were a great boyfriend, the fights aside. Which could definitely be blamed on me just as much as you. We’re both hot heads.”

“We need those calm people to balance us out.” Eren agreed. “I’m really happy. Like more than I’ve been since mom died.”

“Good. I’m glad. I feel less guilty if I propose to Bert then.” Reiner said rubbing the back of his neck.

“You better not do it before Armin proposes to Annie. She’ll go on a rampage.”

“Hehe. You aren’t kidding. But you’re ok with it?”

Eren sighed. “Reiner, you do you and stop worrying about me. I’m fine really. Even if I didn’t have Levi I’d be fine. You’re going to give Bert a complex if you keep worrying about your ex.”

“Well, that’s why I wanted to give him a ring honestly. I can tell he’s been nervous. I know what I did to you was fucked up, and I don’t want him to think I’d ever make that same mistake again. Looks like you weren’t the only one who grew up.”

“Fuck, we’re getting old. Being all adulty and shit.” Eren said with a laugh. “Come on, lets get this door hung before I have to go show some houses.”

“Do you need a minute to put anything away?” Reiner teased while they walked to the truck.

“Fuck no. Just ignore the very disheveled bed.” Eren shot back. “We celebrated last night, several times. Ding dong, the fucking witch is gone.”

The two continued their playful banter while they carried the door into the house. Reiner took the old one off the hinge and put it to the side while Eren held the new one in place. He didn’t fail to notice this one was solid while his last one had been hollow. They got the new door hung pretty quickly while Reiner teased Eren over the state of his room. Levi would probably panic if he saw it was still like this. He had needed to kick Levi out before he had tried to clean it all up in the morning. Reiner put the door knob into the new door and Eren helped him carry the old one to the truck. Eren teased him about getting home to his boyfriend and enjoying his time off now that the case was closed and he and Annie would go back to their regular shifts.

“One more thing, before I go I gotta ask. How’d you get in in the first place? Off the record of course.”

“I told the owner I’d make her a deal and I’d do the work for Levi. Levi said she’d be interested in someone like me anyways. Even used the cop outfit as a bit of roleplay before I put the candles where they needed to be. The fire started before I had to get anywhere with the person and I pushed them out the back door. Bitch fell for the act hook, line and sinker. I’m sure she planned on trying to black mail both of us, but she met her match in me.”

“And here I thought Armin was always the brains.” Reiner chuckled. “Now as an officer I’ve gotta say never do that again, but as your friend great job. We’d still be trying to find an excuse to raid the place. It didn’t even really rely on us bailing you out.”

“I didn’t want anything to fall back on you guys. Although I do admit at the end there, I couldn’t just leave like I should have.”

“Just don’t give into temptation if this ends up making it to court. Last thing you need is for her to recognize you.”

“She’s going to be nothing but a bad memory from now on.” Eren agreed. “Now get out of here so I can get ready for work.”

“Later Jaegar.” Eren waved as he watched Reiner leave feeling better than he had in ages.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So ends one of the big story lines of this chapter. I still have more ideas to come though. I'm not done with my boys just yet.


	22. Chapter 21.5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a purely smut chapter taking place after the brothel events in chapter 21. I had some writer's block on my current chapter and came up with this. Sorry if it's poorly written. I did it in a hurry. If this is not the stuff you're reading this for you can skip this content and not miss anything with the plot.

Levi couldn’t seem to keep his hands off Eren and Eren absolutely loved it. Even on the drive to his house, Levi’s hands were roaming across his arms and chest. Now Eren was trying his damndest to get his door open while Levi stood behind him, one hand under his shirt, the other working on his belt buckle. Eren fumbled with his keys again before he pulled Levi’s hands away.

“Unless you want to do this out here, let me get the door open first before you maul me.” Eren said smiling back at his boyfriend. He finally got the key to cooperate with him and opened the door. Turning once he crossed the threshold to kiss Levi and continue where they left off. Eren pushed him against the wall and shut the door pulling at Levi’s shirt while Levi already had his pulled up and was running his hands across his abs. He bit Levi’s collarbone causing him to lean his head back as far as it would go giving Eren access to the rest of his neck which Eren happily took advantage of, kissing and nibbling the pale skin. Levi got his buckle undone and shoved a hand down Eren’s pants rubbing his already aching hard on.

“Bedroom. Now.” Levi said in a deep commanding voice that sent shivers down Eren’s spine. He pushed at Eren and he started walking backwards towards his room. Their shirts littered his floor as he walked. Eren didn’t even bother with the lights as he went, He was familiar enough with his home to know its layout. He laughed when he hit the wall instead of his bedroom door though, trying to open it from behind. The laugh turned into a moan when Levi latched onto one of his nipples, sucking and nibbling on it, his other hand tweaking the other. Eren got the door open and stumbled back into his room his legs hitting his bed. Levi pushed him down and leaned over him both of them still half off the bed. Eren unbuttoned Levi’s jeans and pushed them down, grabbing a handful of each asscheek and grinding Levi into him.

He whimpered when Levi was no longer above him, but was soon rewarded with seeing Levi on his knees pulling down Eren’s pants and boxers. As soon as Eren’s cock sprung free from its confines, he felt Levi’s warm mouth around it and he moaned falling back down on the bed while his hands went to Levi’s head, pulling just enough to get Levi moaning around his cock as well. Levi released him with a loud pop before pulling the rest of Eren’s clothes off as well as his own. Eren took the opportunity to push himself back onto the bed, Levi soon hovering over him licking and sucking on his nipples while he straddled the larger man. Eren reached back to his nightstand blindly, it still just out of reach for him.

Levi glanced up and saw where Eren was trying to reach. He hovered over him, sliding his way up Eren’s body until he was able to get the drawer open and grab the lube and condoms inside. It was Eren’s turn to make Levi moan as Eren licked the crevices between Levi’s abs and massaged his ass the other hand coming forward to stroke Levi’s cock. Levi arched back, dropping what was in his hands. He brought his fingers through Eren’s hair pulling on it and forcing Eren to look up at him. Eren could not love this man more, looking at him with wide lust blown eyes, his pale skin already turning pink from where he’d left his marks. Eren was incredibly lucky that this man wanted him, and he knew that Levi felt the same way from the way he looked at him. Levi moved above him so his body covered Eren’s and the two kissed, tongues and lips pushing their way while they each fought for dominance. Eren wanted to throw Levi off and have his way with him, but was enjoying this aggressive side of Levi that he continued to let him take the reins. Levi stroked his cock while they kissed and Eren thrust his hips up to meet him. He heard the cap opening and relaxed his muscles while he opened his legs, breathing through the first finger that intruded. Levi had let his lips go and had returned to assault his nipples. Eren’s back arching when he bit one while inserting the second finger. His breathing became more like panting, wanting more, but knowing Levi wouldn’t move until he knew Eren was ready. Levi scissored his fingers inside him, his other hand still stroking his cock, and his mouth moving from one nipple to the other. Eren’s head was on overload all thoughts leaving except pleasure and desire. He saw stars when Levi pressed into his prostate and he moaned loudly earning praise from the man above him. A third finger slipped in and Levi increased the speed of his thrusts while his fingers constantly curled to hit his prostate.

Eren pushed him away. “I’m ready, just fuck me dammit.” He reached between Levi’s legs and squeezed his cock. It seemed to be the only urging Levi needed. He sat back and put the condom on, lubing it up once it was in place. Levi pressed against his asshole slowly, both mean breathing heavily as he worked his way in inch by inch until he was in completely. He kissed Eren again while Eren’s hand’s roamed across Levi’s body, ending up on his ass that he enjoyed massaging so much. He squeezed the globes tightly giving Levi the go ahead to start moving.

Eren’s eyes never left Levi while the smaller man thrust into him. He watched with fascination as the muscles in his arms moved and how his stomach muscles tightened. How his jaw clenched when he wasn’t kissing Eren somewhere. Eren pulled him down so their chests were touching, his nails digging into Levi’s back while still ever conscious to not hurt him too much. Eren sucked on his neck and moaned in Levi’s ear when each thrust hit his prostate. He felt Levi’s body tensing up and knew he’d come soon. Eren was close as well. He was holding it back as long as he could but it became a losing fight when Levi started stroking him at the same speed he was fucking him. Levi bit Eren’s earlobe and he lost it coming all over their chests and Levi’s hand. Levi thrust a few more times before tensing above him moaning his name and collapsing on Eren’s chest.

Eren chuckled while stroking Levi’s hair. “Yep. Definitely worth committing a crime for.” Levi laughed with him before groaning and pulling out.

“Don’t make me laugh when it’s still so sensitive.” Levi said landing on his back and pulling the condom off. He tied it off and tossed it in the garbage near Eren’s bed. He closed his eyes and Eren pounced on top of him.

“Sensitive hmm?” Eren asked as he kissed and nibbled his way down Levi’s chest.

“You can’t honestly be ready for another round already?” Levi asked groaning when Eren bit one of his nipples and raked his fingers down his sides.

“No, not yet. But by the time I’m done teasing you I will be.” Eren said smiling. He rubbed his hand along Levi’s perineum causing the raven to gasp and his cock to twitch. Eren simply couldn’t get enough of this man tonight. His adrenaline still pumping from the nights events and the pure satisfaction that knowing Levi was now completely _his_. No more stressful nights or worrying about the raven. No more finding marks and bruises on his skin. No more haunting look in Levi’s eyes. He knew it would take time for Levi to completely heal and he was always conscious enough to be careful, even when he wanted nothing more than to fuck this man until both of them couldn’t say their own names. But tonight, they both wanted, needed this and he planned on making it so neither of them wanted to leave this bed any time soon. He took one of Levi’s balls in his mouth while he continued to massage the perineum swatting the hand away that tried to stop him. He licked up his shaft, following the bright vein underneath until he reached his head, swirling his tongue around it like it was an ice cream cone. Levi was panting and saying his name begging him but Eren wasn’t sure if he was begging to stop or continue. Levi was hard again, and so was he now. He looked up to his boyfriends face, he was flushed throughout his upper body, his hands gripping the sheets under them. Eren ran his hands down Levi’s legs finding the ticklish spot under his knees that had Levi jerking. He loved every inch of this man and told the him so as he kissed and licked his legs while pushing them open. Levi tossed the bottle of lube at him and Eren got the hint quickly.

He made sure his fingers were coated with plenty of the clear substance. He put his thumb over the perineum while he insert the first finger slowly moving back up Levi’s body so he could kiss him again. Levi wrapped his arms around him tightly and Eren’s eyes widened thinking he hurt Levi, ready to remove his finger and stop for the night.

“Don’t you dare.” Levi said looking up at him reading the emotions that must have been evident on Eren’s face. “I’m fine.” His hands clenched at Eren’s neck and Levi kissed him. “I’m enjoying it.” He loosened his hands and began to rub the expanse of Eren’s back. Eren nodded and continued stretching Levi, his eyes never leaving the gray ones. He inserted the second finger while still massaging him with his thumb. Levi closed his eyes and arched under him releasing a wonderful sound that Eren wanted to hear again and again. He scissored his fingers while kissing Levi’s neck, and licking his adam’s apple when he saw Levi swallow. Levi grabbed his face and pulled him into a crushing kiss, his tongue moving all throughout his mouth. He gasped when Eren hit the prostate both from inside and out. Levi let out a string of curses and Eren smiled at him, moaning when Levi’s fingers dug into his back. He was certain he’d have scratch marks tomorrow, but he didn’t care. He pushed the third finger in making sure Levi was ready regardless of what the man underneath him was telling him He understood impatience, had felt it not that long ago himself, but he refused to harm Levi. Levi shoved a condom into his chest.

“If you don’t get on with it, I’m taking over.” Levi said and Eren was tempted to let him do just that.

“Maybe next time.” Eren decided aloud. Taking the condom from Levi he put it on his now aching member, stroking lube over it. He lined up his cock with Levi’s entrance and slowly worked his way in.

He moaned at the warm sensation and the tight grip Levi’s muscles had around him closing his eyes as he pushed in. It had been a long time for him to have done this and he fought the urge to just rut into him. Levi was breathing steadily under him and he opened his eyes to see Levi’s staring up at him. Eren could almost cry seeing the amount of trust in those beautiful globes. Levi hissed and gripped onto Eren’s arms tightly when he bottomed out. Staying still until Levi moved first. His arms and upper body were shaking trying to remain still. Levi moved under him and groaned when Eren’s piercing hit his prostate. Eren smirked knowingly. There was a reason he kept his piercing after all these years. He started with a slow steady pace, but increased the speed when Levi was pushing up to meet him. Levi pulled Eren close whispering how much he loved him while Eren made love to him. Eren almost panicked again when he felt a tear brush his cheek.

“It’s ok. I’m just so happy. I’ve never-I’ve never felt like this before.” Levi hid his eyes from Eren. He understood. The difference between having sex and making love. The physical act over the emotional one. He kissed Levi again, but much softer than before. He told Levi how happy he made him and all the ways he loved the man. His thrusts were slow, no longer seeking just a release but letting each other just get lost in it. Even still, Levi was incredibly tight around him and knew he wouldn’t last much longer. He assaulted Levi’s prostate, rotating his hips so it was massaged from multiple angles. Levi’s hands didn’t seem to know where to go. He’d be pulling Eren’s hair then stroking his chest, then clawing at his back.

“Come with me Levi.” Eren whispered wrapping his hand around Levi’s cock while he pushed into him. When he felt the liquid begin to coat his hand and the muscles clench around him he came hard, swearing he blacked out for a second and collapsing heavily over Levi. He wasn’t even sure how long he was there before Levi was gently trying to push him off. Eren carefully extracted himself and flopped back. Looking at the disaster that was his bed and each other.

Both of them had a mix of dried cum and new cum on their chests. A mixture was also on the sheets along with their sweat. He could tell all the love bites he’d left on Levi and only assumed he had just as many. Levi’s lips were swollen and his face completely blissed out while he stared at the ceiling. Eren threw the condom away, knowing he should get up and get them cleaned up, but not really having the energy to.

“Do you have an extra sheet?” Levi asked looking over at Eren finally. “We’ll just lay on it for now and clean up in the morning.”

“You, the most OCD Person I have ever met, is asking to not bother with the sheets until tomorrow?”

“Well, I don’t think I can move much at the moment.” Levi admitted.

“I’m sorry. Maybe round 2 was a bad idea.”

“Mmm. I don’t think so. My muscles just don’t want to cooperate with my head. I can’t say this has ever happened before.”

“You stay there and enjoy your little sex high.” Eren said with a smile and with a lot of effort he got himself off the bed. He didn’t bother with a shower since they weren’t changing the sheet, only doing a quick cleanup before grabbing a new warm soapy washcloth for Levi. He cleaned him up carefully while Levi remained sprawled on his bed a broad smile on his face. Eren pulled out a fresh sheet and tossed it on the bed, lifting Levi up so he could put it underneath him before setting him down again. He grabbed his comforter and threw it over both of them, the exhaustion hitting him like a train. Levi already appeared to be sleeping, but curled into him when Eren got comfortable, laying on his back. Levi laid his head on his chest, his breathing changing to match Eren’s. Eren let out a sigh of contentment while he drifted off to sleep.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boys night.

“Thanks for taking Mika tonight.” Levi said as Hange grabbed Mikasa’s bag for the night. “I promised Connie a boy’s night and I didn’t want her to go to the sleepover.”

“No worries. Mika and I will have fun tonight. Won’t we honey?” Hange reached out for Mikasa’s hand who took it with a smile and a nod. “I’m sure Connie wouldn’t have been bothered even if she did end up staying.”

“Come on Eren hurry up! I don’t wanna be late!” Sasha was yanking Eren to his car, gripping her pillow tightly and her backpack slung over her shoulder. Eren was teasing her as they went telling her he was old and couldn’t move that fast, giving Hange and Levi a wink as Sasha pulled him away.

“Wait Sasha, say goodnight to Levi.” Eren said stopping in his tracks.

Sasha let out a huff of air and shoved her pillow into Eren. He saw him crouch over and it looked like she hit him right in the junk by accident. Sasha hurried over to Levi.

“Night Levi.” Sasha said giving him a quick hug.

“You have my number in your bag right? Call if you need anything.”

“I know Levi. I’ll be fine.” She squealed when Levi picked her up and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Have fun and be good.” Levi said taking her to the car while Eren recovered.

“Ok. Have fun with Connie and Jean too.” Sasha got into her spot in the back seat and buckled in. Levi shut her door for her.

“You good?” Levi asked as Eren made it over.

“Girls got a good punch. Normally I’d be more proud of her.” Eren said. “I’m fine. I know she didn’t mean to. I’ll make sure the girls mom gets your number.”

Levi walked back over to Mikasa. Connie was giving her a hug and a kiss. Mikasa looked up when he approached. “Levi can we stay at Eren’s again next time? I wanna see Heichou.”

“He said you’re welcome over whenever you want but we’ll go soon. Have a good time with Hange tonight.” Levi kissed her goodnight and waved at Hange as the two got in Hange’s car. Like Eren, Hange had bought a booster seat for the times she had Mika.

“What are we doing tonight?” Connie asked

“It’s a surprise.” Levi said. “We have to wait for Jean to get off work and Eren to come back though.”

Connie waited anxiously for everyone to come back. Eren arrived first, letting Levi know Sasha was doing good so far and he’d talked to Krista’s mom. She didn’t have a set time for the kids to be picked up saying she was letting the children or the other parents decide. Eren had told Sasha to call when she was ready to come home. Connie tried to drill Eren for information, but Eren remained as tight lipped as Levi was. About an hour later, Jean and Marco pulled in. Jean had asked if it was ok for Marco to come along when Levi had told him about their plans for today. They had worked the same shift again and Levi had no reason to refuse Jean, especially since Eren was coming. He was interested in seeing them interact. Although he tried to make Eren promise to behave himself and not make Jean too embarrassed. Eren had promised but Levi swore he saw his fingers crossed behind his back. Connie rushed out to get Jean and pulled him toward the house.

“They won’t say what we’re doing until everyone’s here.”

“I don’t recall saying that. Do you?” Eren asked Levi who shook his head. “You’re going to find out when we get there.”

“Oh Come on Eren! At least give me a hint.”

“Hmm, it requires money.” Eren said with a smile. Levi saw Marco had a change of clothes with him and Jean made his way up to his room to change out of his work clothes and freshen up. Levi directed Marco to the bathroom telling him he was welcome to change in there or in one of the bedrooms. Marco thanked him and Levi sat beside Eren.

“You should have been more specific on which bedroom.” Eren whispered. “Don’t want to go and walk in on him and Jean making out right?”

“You said you’d behave.”

“I am so far. Just an observation.” Eren said with a smile. “I know how I was when I was their age and I had my first boyfriend.”

“I’m pretty sure Jean is more mature than you were, and how many times has Jean caught us hmmm?”

“Well he’s nosy. I blame it on him being half horse.”

“I heard that shit head.” Jean said and Eren leaned his head back so he could look at Jean.

“Well I didn’t really whisper it. Look at you trying to look all nice. Is that for me?” Eren smiled at him.

“Levi, you should break up with this guy. There’s better men out there. Maybe find one who’s actually fucking mature.”

“Age is just a number.” Eren teased.

“Then you’re Mika’s age.”

“Yes! I get to draw all day instead of working!” Eren laughed and Jean let out a groan in frustration.

“Eren.”

“Yes dear?” Eren asked turning his attention to Levi. Levi almost got distracted with the way his eyes seemed to dance when he was being mischievous.

“What did we just talk about?”

“Well technically you asked that I behave while we were there. We’re not there yet, so I’m not exactly breaking any promise yet.” Eren beamed at him ignoring the look he received from Levi.

Levi pulled him close and spoke to him so only he would hear. “Behave, or you and your hand are going to get well acquainted again.”

“You wouldn’t.” Eren’s eyes widened while he searched Levi’s face for any sign of him joking. “Dammit. You’ve found my kryptonite. Fine. I’ll do my best.”

“No horse jokes.”

“Oh come on! That wasn’t a part of the deal.”

“It is now.”

Eren crossed his arms and pouted. “Fine. But I can’t promise one won’t slip out.”

“See what I mean Levi, it’s like having another kid around.” Eren stuck his tongue out at Jean.

“Jean, don’t try to instigate him.” Levi pinched the bridge of his nose. He hoped when Marco had Jean’s attention the two of them would stop bickering as much. He knew Eren meant no harm, and in some ways the two liked to tease one another, it never going past verbal insults.

“I miss anything?” Marco asked looking at the sulking puppy next to Levi and Jean who still looked peeved. The look quickly faded when he got a glance at Marco. Jean’s ears reddened and he seemed unable to speak.

“No, nothing just these two bickering.” He patted Eren’s leg. “Come on, let’s go before Connie has a fit.” Connie was standing by the door dancing from foot to foot while waiting for the others.

“Alright. Marco, are you driving too, or riding with us? It’ll be a little cramped but everyone can fit in my car.”

Marco looked to Jean who just shrugged. “I guess we’ll all just go together. Then you don’t have to spoil the surprise.”

Eren nodded and put Mikasa’s booster seat in the trunk. Connie sat in the middle, while Levi sat behind Eren since he needed the least leg room. Jean sat in the front and Marco took the seat behind him. Eren opened his console and handed everyone two rolls of quarters.

“Is this some sort of joke I’m not getting the punchline to?” Jean asked “Are we really just going to the laundromat or something?” He looked back at Levi. “I could honestly see you thinking that’s a good time.”

“Laundromats are disgusting. You have no idea what people have tried to clean in there.” Levi shuddered. “I doubt the place itself is cleaned very often either.”

“Come to think of it, I don’t really remember us going to laundromats much.” Connie said as Eren drove to their location. “If anything, we washed our own clothes. I just figured that it was because it was cheaper.”

“Connie. Shh.” Jean said looking back at Connie with his eyes wide. Levi glanced over at Marco. Jean must not have told him everything yet.

“What I say?” Connie asked looking up to Levi.

“Jean’s just being moody today.” Eren replied looking at Connie in the rearview mirror. “Do you have an idea of where we might be going now?” He asked changing the subject. Marco continued to look out the window. Levi wasn’t sure if he was oblivious or pretending to be, but he was grateful to him for not bringing attention to it.

Connie looked at the rolls of quarters like he’d find a hidden clue there. He shook his head.

“Decided to finally clean your house and needed to do something with all the change you found lying around?” Jean asked “You’d think dating Levi you’d up your cleaning game.” Levi sighed. The peace didn’t last long apparently.

“Give me your quarters back.” Eren said reaching for the rolls in Jean’s hand. “You can pay for yourself.”

“No. No take backs.” Jean said leaning away from Eren. “I don’t have coins with me.”

“Oh! I know where we’re going! I haven’t been there in a while.” Marco said snapping his fingers. Levi looked over at him. “Jean you’re going to want to keep those so maybe you shouldn’t tease the driver.”

“Yeah. Don’t tease the driver Jean.” Eren repeated. “I like him.”

“Oh come on! Tell me!” Connie whined, shaking Levi’s arm.

“It’s not much farther. Right?” Marco asked not wanting to give it away.

“About another 10 minutes give or take.” Marco nodded, and Levi assumed his guess was right.

Levi watched out the window as Eren drove to their destination. Eren pulled into one of the open spots and everyone climbed out. Jean and Connie still didn’t seem to know where they were at, and Levi wouldn’t have known either had Eren not suggested it. He didn’t recall ever actually going to a place like this although he’d heard of them.

“Come on Jean! Let’s see how well you can drive!” Marco gripped Jean’s hand and hurried inside.

“What? Driving? I can’t drive!”

Connie hurried after them while Levi yelled at him to watch for traffic. He and Eren went at a slower pace, but he could see his boyfriend was excited to be here too. Likely bringing out his inner child. Levi was surprised when Eren opened the door for him. He’d seen arcades in malls before, but this place was huge. There were sounds of different games going off around them and people laughing or yelling.

“Ok folks. Here’s the deal. All these games take quarters. Depending on the game depends how many quarters you need. We’re here as long as everyone has said quarters. No cheating and getting more. Most of the games give out tickets where you can go over there and pick up a prize.” Eren pointed to a display case with hanging stuffed animals and other prizes in the display case. “You can either combine your tickets with other people or get something on your own. Stay in this room even when you’ve run out. Just find any one of us. After this, there’s more. Now go have fun.”

Marco and Jean nodded while Marco pulled Jean to one of the race car games taking a seat next to Jean. Connie had sat next to them in a different car game, Jean fixing his seat for him before it started.”

“Anything you want to look at first? Eren asked. “Or you want to stay close to them?”

“We’ll stay close for now.”

“Ok.” Eren lead him to a shooting game. “Let’s see how good your aim is.”

“You’re on.”

\--------

It didn’t take Connie long to run out of money. He had a trail of tickets with him that Levi was helping him fold up. Eren was currently in a dance off with Marco while the others watched them. Levi couldn’t help the smile that formed when Eren started shaking his ass to one of the songs and was belting out the chorus. Marco seemed familiar with the game as well, and ended up only losing by a small number.

“Wow. I don’t think any of my friends have been able to keep up with that song.” Marco said running a hand through his hair.”

“Ha! My friend Annie is surprisingly a huge fan of this game. She has a home version of it. There have been several drunk renditions done before. It’s a lot easier sober.”

“I’d imagine. Jean you want to try?”

“Against one of you? No way. Not after seeing that.”

“Go against Levi then.” Marco offered. Eren was already nodding and choosing a song for the two of them a sinister smile on his face.

“I have a feeling you’re about to make me look like an ass.” Levi said stepping up.

“I would never.” Eren said. “I would however pick something where I’m going to enjoy the view.” He handed Connie the rest of his coins. “Here Connie. Want to play some more games?”

“Thanks, Eren!” Connie ran off and Marco tapped Eren on the shoulder.

“I see what you did there.” Marco said with a wink. Levi grew concerned that those two around one another might end up being dangerous for Jean and himself. “Which song you pick?”

“Oh, trust me, you won’t be disappointed.”

“Levi, we need to keep those two away from one another I think.” Jean said while waiting for the game to start. Eren was leaning back against the wall, his arms crossed in front of him while the smile never left his face. Marco had taken a seat at an abandoned game.

“Agreed.” Levi said. He’d paid attention enough to understand the concept of the game. Essentially, you copied what the person on the screen was doing, including arm, leg and hip motions. He highly doubted he’d do very well at it though. The countdown began and the music started. Levi faltered in the first few steps but once he got the hang of it, he found it easy to follow the beat and match the movements of the character. Eren had picked a slower song for them at least. Jean was saying the pattern out loud trying to keep the tempo. Levi spared a glance back to see Eren leaning into Marco, who was watching Jean very closely nodding to whatever Eren said and lifting his fist for Eren to bump. In the end, Jean beat him, but from the looks on Eren and Marco’s faces they certainly felt like they were the winners. Levi grabbed the collection of tickets that came out folding them and handing them over to Eren to add to their collection.

“You’re an ass.” Levi said once he caught his breath.

“It’s only fair. Don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy the show when I was playing.” He laughed

“Ugh I feel dirty.” Jean said looking over at the group of girls who were giggling and looking their way. “I’ll defiantly cross off stripper or dancer as a career choice.”

Eren bent over laughing and Levi could tell he was biting his tongue. Jean let out a huff and pulled Marco away from them and toward Connie. Each of them taking a seat in the spots next to him.

Levi made his way to the claw machines. “Are you any good at these?” Levi asked Eren.

“I’m decent. What do you want?” Eren asked looking into the claw machine. “I see about 3 things I could probably pick up.”

“Just something small for the girls, but if we don’t win anything I’ll just use the tickets to get them something.” Levi put the money in for 2 rounds letting Eren try. Eren maneuvered the claw over what he wanted and they both inhaled when it started to lift up, but if fell right before dropping into the bin.

“Oh you bastard.” Eren muttered starting up the game again. He had his tongue stuck out in concentration, this time going toward a different animal. He was able to get a better grip on that one and it fell into the bin. Levi put in the money for another round. Eren went back to the one he almost had before, hissing when the claw missed it.

“I only have enough for one more.” Levi said putting the last of his money in. Eren nodded. He went for a different stuffed animal. The grip on this one was flimsy and they watched as it swayed toward the bin. It hit the plexi-glass around the bin, luckily falling into the bin rather than back into the pit. Levi pulled out the two stuffed animals while Eren grabbed the tickets that had started to come out. Levi could see the others had made their way to the prize counter.

“Here.” Eren said handing over all of his tickets to Jean while Levi gave his to Connie. “Split these up between you two.”

“Nah Marco and I already gave ours to Connie.” Jean said adding the tickets Eren had given him to the basket and taking the ones Levi gave to Connie since he couldn’t reach.

“Are we going to the miniature golf next?” Marco asked Eren his eyes lighting up.

“They have putt putt? I didn’t know that.”

“It’s glow in the dark. It’s really fun. My friends wanted to come play when they were high the one day.”

Eren nodded. “Sure, we can go. I planned on playing a game of bowling, but we can do that next time.”

Connie ended up picking matching stuffed animals for him and the girls, which Eren ended up carrying for him while the group followed Marco to the miniature golf. It was a small indoors one, but still had enough entertainment for them. Eren wasn’t very good at the game and kept cursing when the ball wouldn’t make it into the hole while Jean kept reminding him how bad he was losing. Levi worried Eren was going to ‘accidentally’ swing his club at Jean. Levi heard him muttering to himself at one of the stations. “You just wait, you stupid horse face.” Levi tried to hide his laughter, managing to keep a straight face through most of it, but when Eren was trying to get the ball through an obstacle and it bounced back and hit him, he lost it with the others. Eren ended up laughing too though and accepted his defeat. Afterwards, Eren ordered everyone food ignoring Levi and Marco’s protests to help pay. They sat outside on the patio as the sky turned to dusk.

To end the night, Eren stopped to let the kids pick out movies. Levi agreed to let Connie stay up later tonight. While they waited, Levi checked in with Hange. She sent pictures of the drawings Mika had done that now covered Hange’s fridge and a pajama clad Mika sitting and coloring in front of her. Throughout the night, Levi had caught glances of Marco and Jean flirting together, Marco reaching for Jean’s hand or their whispered tones to one another. It was the first time he’d seen Jean interact with someone his own age and definitely the first time he saw him flirting with someone. He smiled while he watched Marco easily throw an arm over Jean’s shoulder while they looked for videos with Connie.

Eren pulled into the spot next to Marco and everyone piled out so they could watch the movies. Jean sat next to Connie on the floor, both leaning against one of the bean bags while Marco sat cross legged on the other one. While the others were interested in the movie, Levi used the time to get some laundry done. Then he sat next to Eren while he worked on some of his GED prep assignments. Eren sat curled up on the couch watching Levi more than the movie.

“You ever think to get your eyes checked?” Eren asked as he watched Levi squinting at the screen. “Seems like you’re having some trouble there.”

“I can see the tv just fine.” Levi protested. “The letters are just small on the computer.”

Eren stole the laptop from him and changed the display so it was larger. “Here. This will help for now, but maybe you should get an eye exam. You might need reading glasses.”

When the movie was over, Marco said goodnight, needing to get home before his curfew. Connie had fallen asleep during the second movie so with a wave to Marco, Eren took Connie upstairs while Levi told the teen goodnight. Jean followed Marco outside to say goodnight and Levi let them be, cleaning up the living room and putting everything back into place. Jean came back in and Levi tried his best not to bring attention to Jean’s flushed face and swollen looking lips.

“I’m uh- I think I’m going to bed too.” Jean said rubbing his hand across his lip with a smile.

“Good night Jean.” Levi hid his smile while he watched the teen dazedly walk up the steps. He didn’t even react when Eren told him goodnight and called him Mr. Ed, although that particular insult may have gone over Jean’s head anyways. Eren smiled when he realized Levi heard.

“I only promised no horse jokes when we were out. He’s fair game now.” He jerked his thumb back up to the teen. “You did notice that look on his face right?”

“I did. I haven’t seen him happy like that before.”

“Better get Hange on the ball about that sex talk.” Eren returned to his seat on the couch motioning for Levi to join him.

“I’m pretty sure she already bombarded him. I recall him looking rather beet red while he was looking at some bananas after Hange was here.”

“Yep. That’ll do it.” Eren laughed.

“Connie say anything?”

“He’s out like a lightbulb for now. Must have worn him out. He seemed to have a good time tonight.”

“I think everyone did.” Levi agreed making himself comfortable next to Eren while he pulled the laptop back over. “If you’re tired you can head up to bed. I just want to get some more of this work done while you’re here. I know you have your open house in the morning.”

“I’ll stay up for a bit, keep you company, avoid temptation to distract you for now.” Eren unfurled himself from his position on the couch while he looked through the movies. “We need to get you some things that aren’t animated maybe. Don’t get me wrong, huge Disney fan, but we need things to watch too.”

“I wouldn’t know what to get even if I would buy some. I just don’t see the point in spending money on things like that.”

“Mph. I guess. Although you can’t blame a man for buying them as gifts.” Eren put one of the movies in the DVD player and rejoined him on the couch.

“I don’t need gifts. You and Hange already do enough.” Levi moved closer to Eren and rested his back on his side while he worked trying to ignore the hand Eren snaked around his waist once he was close enough. “You’re already trying to distract me, and you haven’t started the movie yet.”

“Well it’s not my fault if you get easily distracted.” Eren smirked. He stopped moving his hand though, resting it on Levi’s thigh. Levi felt himself nodding off, but didn’t want to sleep just yet. He’d wanted to finish more of the assignments. He felt the laptop moving and hurried to grab it, worried he’d dozed off and almost dropped it.

“It’s time for bed Levi. I can come over after I’m done working tomorrow so you can work on stuff. I can take care of the kids while you study.” Eren kissed his neck and closed the laptop, putting it on the end table. Levi watched as he stood up and went toward the door.

“You’re not staying?”

“Sorry, I have the open house early, and I need to take care of Heichou.” Eren smiled when he saw Levi’s frown. “I’ll be back tomorrow. You’ll have my undivided attention and I can stay then.” Eren rubbed his thumb over Levi’s bottom lip. Levi bit the tip of it while looking up at Eren. “You’re tired Levi. Go to sleep.”

“Had I known you were leaving I may have let you distract me earlier.”

“You can distract me all you want after I’m done working. I’ll come over right after I’m done. Now give me a good night kiss and go to bed.” Eren smiled. “I’m not about to be outdone by some horny teenagers.” Eren pushed Levi against the wall and tilted his chin up. Levi pressed in when Eren’s lips met his. Both their hands were moving across each other’s bodies. Levi let out a frustrated sigh when Eren pulled back. “Come on, don’t give me that look. You were the one who threatened me with no sex earlier.” Eren pecked his lips. “Besides, even if I were to stay we’d just be going to sleep and I’d need to leave you in the morning.”

“I think I prefer the childish version of you over the reasonable one.” Levi leaned into Eren’s chest. “Have a good night. Go sell some stuff tomorrow. Don’t charm the people too much.” Levi waved to him as Eren walked to his car, his laptop tucked under his arm. He checked on the boys before lying down. He made sure his phone was within reach in case something happened with the girls. He finally le himself go to sleep once he got a message from Eren letting him know he was home. With one last good night, Levi finally went to sleep.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 100,000 words!! Wow, normally I'd have given up on a story by now. Thanks to all those who keep reading! I hope you enjoy.

Sasha was a bundle of energy when Krista’s mom dropped her off. She ran around Levi telling her about everything they had done. He smiled to himself. He had been worried when Sasha wanted to go. He knew that they didn’t get along with some members of their class, and it was the first time Sasha was truly without at least someone from their little family since Levi started to take care of her. Krista had been kind though and had seemed to even win over some of the other girls in Sasha’s class.

“Will I be able to go over again? Would I be able to have a sleepover too? It’s the first time we’ve really had a place where we could have a sleepover if we wanted.”

“Maybe just one or two people.” Levi agreed. Sasha clapped her hands. “But not for a while ok? You have to at least wait until a weekend.”

“Ok.” Sasha pulled him down so she could kiss him smiling happily at him. “You should have a sleepover with Eren soon too.”

“Oh? Why do you say that?” Levi asked mildly curious as to what the girl might say. “We see each other pretty often.”

“Yeah, but you just seem happier when he’s around.” Sasha said

“Sasha! You’ll never believe what we did last night!” Connie ran to Sasha and the two of them exchanged stories about their nights both whining on what they missed out on.

“We’ll go back to that place again right Levi?” Connie asked. “I think the girls would like it too.”

“If everyone wants to go, we can. It will have to wait until I have some money saved up though.”

“Ok! Sasha, I got you something!” Connie pulled Sasha away and drug her up the steps. He could hear their laughter from downstairs while he cooked breakfast.

“Ugh those two are way too chipper this morning.” Jean said coming into the kitchen and starting the coffee pot. “Never mind, they’re both too chipper at all.”

“I like it when they’re like this. A lot better than it used to be.” Levi couldn’t believe it had only been a few short months since his life had changed so drastically. He saw Jean was in his work clothes. “I thought you were off today.”

“I picked up a shift.” Jean said pulling out some milk for his coffee that he waited for anxiously. “Marco had to work today.”

“Ah, wanted to work with your boyfriend again huh?” Levi teased hitting his hip off Jean’s.

“Hmph. Like you wouldn’t work with Eren if you could. I’m surprised you didn’t offer to do all the cleanings for his listings.”

“Don’t try to change the subject.” Levi said turning to face Jean. “We were talking about you, and since you didn’t deny it I’m assuming you and Marco are officially dating now?”

“Yes.” Jean said rolling his eyes. “We are still keeping it a secret from most people though. He doesn’t mind if some people know, but he doesn’t want it getting around school or work. I’m not sure if I want anyone to know either yet. It still seems odd to me, but still right when I’m with him if that makes sense.”

“It does. Does his family know?”

“I think so. They at least know he’s spending more time with me. He wanted to know if it was ok if he hung out after work today too? We’ll make sure we get our homework done still.”

“Sure. Anything in particular you want me to make for dinner then?”

“No whatever you make is fine.” Jean poured his cup of coffee and put in almost as much creamer along with some scoops of sugar. He took a sip and sighed. “Whoever made coffee is a saint.”

“Really? You barely should be able to taste the coffee with the amount of stuff you put in it.” Levi flipped the bacon in the pan. “Listen Jean, we should talk, you know, about certain things since you and Marco are getting more serious.”

“Oh, please don’t turn this into a sex talk Levi. I’m good honestly. I don’t think I’ll be able to look at a banana the same ever again, besides they cover that kinda stuff in sex ed.”

“Well they cover hetero relationships in sex ed, but do they talk about same sex relationships?”

“It’s just paying attention to the girls side of class right? And well, it wouldn’t be much different than how you handle yourself. Yep you know what? Don’t want to talk about this.”

“Jean sit.” Levi stared at the teen until Jean did as he was ordered. “Its really important to understand so one or both of you don’t get hurt. It’s more than just safe sex which you should always do by the way.”

“Yeah yeah. Eren’s already started to tease me about that when he gets a chance. I swear he looked up a bunch of cheesy sex sayings and just keeps a list on his phone.”

Levi held back a smile. Knowing how much Eren liked to tease, it was quite possible he did just that.

“Look Levi, I understand you’re worried, but we’re not really there yet ok? So can we just forgo this talk for now and I just promise to talk to you about it before we get to that part?”

“You never know when you might get swept up in the heat of the moment.” Levi reasoned. “You’re a teenager, your hormones are all over the place.”

“Yeah, but I also live in a house with a bunch of people and I’m not to just bring my boyfriend upstairs for a damn quickie while everyone is downstairs or something stupid. So even if we want to, we’ll still need to wait for the right time.”

“Fine. I’ll drop it for now, but remember you can come to me and ask about anything, even if it’s embarrassing. It’s better to ask than to regret it later.”

“Yep. Got it.” Jean stood and rinsed his cup. Levi returned his attention to the bacon, putting it on a plate. He was surprised when Jean hugged him from behind. “Thank you Levi. You really are a great dad sometimes.”

“Thanks Jean. That means a lot to me.” Levi patted his hand. “It helps I have some really good kids.”

Jean let him go when there was a knock at the door. “I’m assuming that’s Marco. Eren and Hange just let themselves in anymore.” He said as he went to answer it. Levi turned to see Jean’s face brighten when ‘sunshine and freckles’ was in view. Marco appeared as bright as ever, not phased by the early hours. He gave Levi a wave and Levi waved back.

“You two want something to eat before you go?” Levi asked pointing to the food he had made. “I can make a sandwich for you pretty quickly.”

Marco sniffed the air and looked to Jean almost pleadingly. “Yeah I guess we’ll have something.” Jean said smiling. “Better hurry though before Sash comes back down. She’ll devour everything.”

“Thank you for the breakfast Levi.” Marco said as he sat down. Levi threw a couple bagels in the toaster while he fried some eggs. “We would have been able to eat at work if you didn’t want to though.”

“Mika and Hange will be over soon and Sash just came home so I’d be cooking anyways. I like to cook. It’s something I can do pretty well.” He put the eggs on the bagel with a piece of cheese and some strips of bacon, putting a plate in front of both teens. He yelled up the stairs for Sasha and Connie to come down putting scrambled eggs and bacon on their plates.

“Yes. Second breakfast.” Sasha said sitting down next to Jean.

“Ok you crazy hobbit.” Jean laughed. “I take it you had a good time at your sleepover?”

“Yep.” Sasha nodded her head enthusiastically. “Levi said I could have a sleepover here soon.”

“Oh goodie. I’d like to request to stay the night with Hange or Eren when that day comes. A group of hyped up sugar fueled girls just does not sound like a lot of fun to me.”

“I’m sure you could have a sleepover too if you wanted.” Marco started choking on his bite of food and Levi slid him a glass of water while Jean tapped his back. “Connie you wouldn’t mind would you?”

“Well, we gotta go.” Jean said pulling Marco up with him. Marco protested and grabbed the rest of his bagel. “Have a good day Levi.” Jean yelled. They passed Hange while they were leaving, Hange’s smile getting creepily big as she watched them leave together.

“Levi?” Hange asked jerking her head to the two boys. Levi nodded her head and Hange clapped happily.

“Hey Hange!” Hange was bombarded with stories from Connie and Sasha as she and Mikasa made their way to the table.

“Well it sounds like everyone had a fun night, although makes mine and Mika’s quiet night seem pretty boring huh?”

“I had fun.” Mikasa said. Connie ran upstairs to get the gift he won for Mikasa. “Here. I got Sasha the same thing just different colors so you’d know who’s whose.”

“Thank you Connie.” Mikasa kissed his cheek and hugged her new toy.

“There’s a new toy for each of you in your bedroom too, from Eren and I.” He snapped his fingers. “Hey. Eat first then go look.”

“Kay.” Mikasa grabbed her fork and munched on her food. Hange looked at her plate hungrily.

“Here Hange.” Levi slid a plate in front of her, picking up Jean’s and Marcos and starting dishwater.

“Thanks sweetie. Did you have a good time last night too?”

“I did actually. It was fun.” He smiled thinking about Eren on the dance game. “Eren is surprisingly good at some of the games. I should have video taped him dancing against Marco.”

“Eren’s always been a good dancer. He catches on to things really quickly. He even taught me how to dance once before Mike and Nanaba’s wedding. Said his mom and him used to dance while she cooked and he didn’t forget it.” Hange laughed to herself. “He had a thing for boy bands when he was a teen. I’m sure I have a video somewhere from when he and his friends all did the dances together. Get them drunk enough and play the song, they’ll all probably get up and do it again.”

“I’ll keep that in mind for the next get together.”

Hange stayed for most of the morning talking with Levi and the kids. Close to lunchtime, Hange hurriedly got up and went to the bathroom. Levi could hear her throwing up. He rapped on the door to check on her, a glass of water in his hand.

“I’m sorry sweetie.” Hange said sitting on the floor in the small bathroom after she rinsed her face off and took a long swig of the glass she brought.

“You feeling ok? You want to go lay down or anything?”

“No I’m ok. I think I’ll just go home though. I’m sure it’s just a stomach bug and I don’t want to get any of you sick.”

“You want me to get you any medicine?” Levi looked through his cabinet. “I have some Pepto or I can run to the store real quick.”

“I’ll be fine sweetie.” She brushed Levi’s face. “No need to fuss over me. If I need anything I’ll ask Eren or Erwin to bring it to me or I’ll send Moblit out.” She stood up and Levi walked with her to the door. “Tell my ducklings I said goodbye. I’ll be back over soon.”

“Ok Hange. Feel better.”

Levi sat down in front of the tv. It wasn’t on at the moment, the kids were playing a game together. He was feeling tired after staying up late last night. He looked at his phone, there was still some time before lunch. He pulled the blanket he had folded on the top of the couch down and wrapped himself in it deciding to take a nap in the meantime.

\--------

Eren hated back to back open houses. Even when they went really well, he was just constantly stressed to make sure everything was right for them. His first open house had been at the diner, which he’d managed to get 2 different offers from and he was currently talking to Reeves on the phone while he set up at his next one. He’d suggested Armin and Annie come take a look at this house when they got back from their mini vacation later. Both of them hadn’t really been able to take off work for too long, but had taken Eren up on his offer to get them away for a few days. He hadn’t heard anything from either of them yet and hoped for Armin’s sake that he popped the question already.

“Yeah, Reeves, now we’ll be in a bidding match until one of them bows out. But you’ll get asking and them some so that’s good.” Eren told the man while he set up his display outside. “When I hear more I’ll be sure to call you.” Eren hung up the phone and walked to his car to get the sandwiches he picked up between open houses. He set them on the table next to the brochures on the house and by the time he had everything set up, he saw a couple pull into the house. With a quick look at his phone, he looked to see if anyone had messaged him. His friends often came to the open houses he hosted, whether they were actually interested in a house or not. Armin and Annie had walked around a couple homes feigning interest in order to try to get a bid from people before. This house had some things he thought the couple would like. And he wasn’t stupid enough to not see Hange and Erwin had become more serious quickly. Or slowly depending on if you counted the years they skated around one another as dating.

When the couple walked in, Eren put on his pleasant smile and greeted them. Offering to show them around or let them look themselves. They opted for the latter, but took one of the information sheets on the house, saying they’d be back if they had any questions as they walked upstairs. Another woman came with a small child and Eren greeted the kid with a warm smile and, once he had the woman’s permission, a lollipop. The child’s eyes brightened as he took the candy from him.

“Wow, he’s normally very shy.” The woman stated while obviously looking Eren over. Eren pushed back the urge to roll his eyes. Instead, he gave the woman a big smile.

“Yeah, kids seem to like me. My friends say it’s because I’m still their age at heart.” He gave her the same offer and wasn’t all that surprised when she opted for him to show her around. Since the other couple was upstairs, he showed her around on the first floor. The living room had a large fireplace that looked quite cozy with large windows that looked out to the backyard which he made a point to show her. “He’d have enough room for a playset and you’d be able to have birthday parties and get togethers out back, saving money on party room expenses.” He took her to the kitchen next, pointing out the updates the owners had made before putting the house up for sale. She opened the door to the basement and looked down it, asking to see it. Eren hesitated. The home didn’t have electricity turned on and he didn’t do well with dark enclosed places anymore. Luckily, the kid saved him, saying he didn’t want to go down there. Eren politely offered to show her at the end and suggested that they go upstairs to look, putting on his most charming smile to distract her.

While he was upstairs with the woman, the other couple came and asked him a few questions. He left the woman to look for herself as she investigated closet space so he could jot down a few things for the couple. They showed an interest, but said that they had only recently started looking and wanted to check out a few more homes. Eren gave them his card, letting them know if they didn’t have a realtor yet he’d be happy to help them. They seemed happy with his easy going nature, admitting that they’d met a couple pushy realtors at a few other open houses they’d been to. While he may not get a sale just yet on this house, he potentially had new customers which was just as good for him. He heard some more people arriving and told them to look around while he helped the mother and son upstairs. By the time she was ready to leave she was openly ogling Eren and kept touching him unnecessarily. He heard snickering coming from the living room and turned to see Armin and Annie there. He gave them both the middle finger from behind the woman’s back while he spoke to her with a smile still plastered on his face. He gave the woman his card, hoping she wouldn’t look more into it than just business, then handed the kid a cookie before sending them off and turning his attention to the blondes.

“Should we warn Levi he has some cougar competition?” Annie asked, her eyebrow quirked.

“I wouldn’t say she’s a cougar yet.” Armin argued watching his friend squirm in front of him.

“How was your vacation? Do anything interesting?” Eren asked evading the question. The distraction worked as Annie’s eyes lit up and she hopped toward him showing him her ring finger. She was almost bubbly which was rather odd to see with her.

“Bout damn time.” Eren said with a smile. He showed them around the house, pointing out the features he knew they’d like. Annie was far more excited than he normally saw her, although he couldn’t tell if it was because she finally had someone to tell about the engagement or if it was the house.

“Its not far from your place.” Armin noted. “But we don’t really need a 3 bedroom. I feel like it’s an invitation for Reiner and Bert to follow us.”

“Oh hell no. The point in leaving is to get away from them.”

“Not to mention, we don’t want too big of a yard or else we’ll get stuck hosting parties like you.”

“Fine. I’ll keep looking.” He clapped both of them on their shoulders and pulled them into a hug. “I’m really happy for you. Speaking of invading my home for parties, should I expect an engagement party soon?”

“We’ll let you know.” Armin said giving Eren a side hug in return. “We’re off to go visit gramps in the nursing home. I wanted to tell him the good news before visiting hours are up.”

“Tell the old man I said hi.” Eren waved them off congratulating them again. He went in search of anyone else who needed his help. The open house remained steady throughout and he was finishing up with a family of four when he heard someone walk in behind them. He said he’d be over after he was done. The open house time slot had ended, but he wasn’t going to refuse anyone who wanted to look at the home. The family said that their realtor would be in touch this week if they decided on the home, but asked Eren to call their realtor if a bid went in in the meantime. Eren nodded and wished them a good day. He looked around the home, but didn’t find anyone. He could have sworn he saw someone else come in. He checked upstairs, shutting the doors as he went then made his way back down to the first floor. He found the man standing in the kitchen, although he wasn’t there when Eren had originally looked for him.

“Good afternoon sir. Do you have any questions so far?” Eren asked as he walked up to the man. His back was turned to Eren so he didn’t want to startle him.

“Of all the professions I expected to find you in, I must say I wasn’t expecting this.” Eren’s eyes widened when he heard the voice. Now that he heard it, he could make out who the man was. He turned and Eren was met with eyes that matched his own, although his fathers were much cold and harsher than his. Not much had changed in his features, his hair a little more gray but still cut longer, resting on his nape. The same large circular glasses which he currently held in his hand while he cleaned them with a cloth. Eren was now taller than his father, but standing near the man, Eren felt like a small defenseless child again. He saw Grisha fiddle with a chain around his neck, and found himself locked in place even though he desperately wished to run away. Grisha pulled out a key that hung around his neck. The same key he’d used to lock Eren in the basement for days on end. Eren could practically feel that darkness that surrounded him then, fearing when his father would finally come to get him and what the old man would do then. “What’s the matter boy? You don’t look happy to see your dear father.”

“What-What are you doing here? How did you find me?”

“Still as dumb as ever I see. Obviously having that teacher watching over you didn’t help with your IQ level.” Grisha rubbed his fingers over the key in his hand watching Eren like a hawk. “Your face is plastered over half this town. It’s not like it was hard to find you. It is a father’s prerogative to see what their children are up to. I’m surprised I didn’t find you working at a fast food restaurant so you’ve exceeded my expectations so far.” He gripped Eren’s wrist, age not affecting his strength while he pulled Eren along, Eren unable to stop him because his body wasn’t listening to his mind. He finally started to react though when his father opened the basement door.

“No.” Eren said and wildly grabbed for the door frame. He struggled with his father for a moment, but it was as though he’d forgotten everything he’d learned so something like this didn’t happen to him. His father shoved him and Eren no longer felt anything solid underneath him as he rolled down the steps. He heard more than felt the snap of bones and the crack of his phone against the floor when he finally hit the concrete wall. He looked up at his father in terror as the former doctor calmly walked down the steps.

“Looks painful. It’s going to be hard to get up on your own.” Eren howled when his father gripped the ankle that had twisted. He panted heavily, closing his eyes wishing it was all a horrible dream and he’d wake up soon. “This is where you belong. In the cold damp darkness. No one wants you. No one needs you. You’re nothing but a waste of space. A burden to this world. I should have killed you when your mother died. She was the only reason you’ve been around all these years.” Grisha was so close to Eren, he could smell the mixture of smoke and alcohol on his breath. A scent that was just as familiar to him as the darkness around him now. His father kicked him in the chest and Eren curled up to try to avoid another blow. His whole body shook and he tried desperately to cling to what he knew was true. But the longer he was stuck down there with his father, the more he believed the words the man said.

“I’ve heard all about what you’ve been doing since I’ve been gone. Whoreing yourself out for drugs. 2 suicide failures. Couldn’t even manage to do that right could you?” He kicked him again. “You think you’ve become something now with your face all over this god damn city, but you haven’t. Still just as useless as ever. Even your mother wouldn’t love you now.” His father stood up and spit in Eren’s face. “Such a waste”

Grisha turned to leave and Eren reached out for him. “No. Don’t leave me here.” He pleaded just brushing his pant led before his father kicked him back.

“Let’s play a game Eren. Let’s see how long it is until someone comes looking for you. How important you are to these so called friends of yours. Let’s see if I come back before they do.” With that Grisha walked up the steps, leaving Eren in the dark once more with no hope of getting out on his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry!! I had to put in some more drama, although I did think about waiting a few more chapters. Grisha was just calling to me. If anyone's a Grisha fan I'm sorry too. I just don't like the guy. Feel free to leave comments, suggestions, and constructive criticism. I almost have the next chapter done already so I'll be updating again soon.


	25. Chapter 25

Levi looked down at his phone again wondering if there was something wrong with it. He hadn’t heard from Eren since he’d text him between his open houses to let him know the good news about the diner. He hadn’t mentioned a change of plans then, and he’d never called or text to let him know he was going to be late. At first, Levi didn’t worry when he was an hour late, thinking the open house went on longer than it should have. But now it was nightfall and he still hadn’t heard anything. When he called, the phone went to voicemail. He tried not to let his unease show around the kids. He had made food for them in the crock pot today so Eren didn’t have to worry about it while Levi worked on his stuff. Marco had come over and now all of them were in the living room watching tv. Knowing Jean was observant, he’d gone outside when he started to get more anxious. He called Hange, not sure who else to call yet.

“Hey sweetie. What’s up.” Hange’s voice seemed strained, like she was trying to seem more chipper than she was. He had almost hoped it wouldn’t work when he called her, and he could just blame his phone for Eren’s silence.

“Have you talked to Eren lately? He was supposed to come over after his open house, and he never showed up. I try to call, and it goes to voicemail. I didn’t know if maybe he’d gone over to check on you or not.”

“No. Not since this morning. He told me he was working today, but that was it.” Levi was concerned with how exhausted she sounded.

“You ok Hange?”

“Yep. I’m good. My stomach and I are still arguing. Don’t worry. Erwin’s bringing me some medicine.” She paused. “I’m sure he would have text you, but Armin mentioned seeing him earlier to tell him about his engagement with Annie. Maybe the others dragged him over to celebrate.”

“Sure. I’ll try Armin. Get some rest Hange.” He didn’t want the older woman to worry. She hung up and Levi searched for Armin’s number. Eren had put in all of his friend’s numbers after their last fight and had given Levi’s number to them to hopefully avoid another incident like the other day.

“Hey Levi, Eren must have told you.” Armin’s words seemed slurred. “I’m getting married!”

“Have you been drinking?”

“Mph. Maybe. It was Reiner’s idea. No, you can’t have the phone, he’s calling to congratulate me. He doesn’t want to talk to you.” Armin said to someone in the back.

“Is Eren with you?” Levi asked thinking maybe that was who was stealing the phone away.

“Eren? No. He didn’t answer when we told him to come over for drinks. Hey! Any of you’s hear from Eren lately?” He paused while he listened for a response from the others. “Sorry Levi, no one’s heard from him. We saw him earlier when we went to look at the house though. Hold on.” He could hear Armin swearing at something and talking to someone in the back. There was a rustling sound and then Levi heard a new voice.

“Levi? I’m sending you the address. Everyone else here is too drunk to try and do it.” Bert told him. He’d put the phone on speaker so he could hear the others talking. “Annie stop trying to mess with the phone, you’re going to break it.” Bert let out a frustrated breath. “sent it.”

Levi put the phone on speaker and looked at his text messages. He saw the screenshot from them. “Ok. I got it. Tell Annie and Armin congratulations for me. Sorry to bother the celebration.”

“Yeah. Well I’m pretty sure the celebrating is going to turn into a mad dash for the bathroom soon anyways. Let us know when you find him though. If any of them remember this call, they’ll be freaking out.”

“Everything ok?” Jean asked leaning against the doorway.

“I don’t know yet.” Levi admitted. “Something doesn’t feel right. You mind watching the others for a little bit? I need to go check on something.”

“Yeah sure.” Jean agreed. “You think you’ll be gone long? You want me to get them to bed?”

“They can stay up for now. I shouldn’t be too long I hope.” He hoped he was wrong, and this would be a short trip. “Just make sure they get to bed at a decent time.” Levi toed on his shoes and grabbed a hoodie, glad the others were interested in their show and not paying attention, so he didn’t need to explain himself. Levi walked at a fast pace towards the last place anyone had seen Eren. The sinking feeling in his stomach never really going away and urging him to go faster _. Eren’s just a home sleeping._ He reasoned with himself. _I should just go there, and I’ll find him._ Still he continued on this path. Turning the block that led to the home, he saw Eren’s car still in the driveway and the open house sign still in the front yard. Levi frowned and walked to Eren’s car first. Everything seemed normal with it. The doors to the car were unlocked which he found odd if something happened to the car. Eren wouldn’t leave it unlocked if he had to leave it for the night. He may leave it unlocked for the few hours he was supposed to be here though. He opened the trunk and saw everything was still like it normally was.

Levi walked toward the front door, noticing it was ajar. The house itself was dark. Levi opened the door and tried a switch. He wasn’t surprised it didn’t work. He was familiar enough with homes like this to know the electricity may have been shut off while looking for a buyer. He used his phones flashlight as he looked around the room. Everything seemed normal, just like when Levi had helped Eren set up in the past or the homes he had seen when looking at apartments. The leftover food was still on the table along with the flyers Eren normally kept in his car.

“Eren?” Levi called out as he walked around. He went upstairs first, checking all the rooms. He was beginning to grow rather concerned. He continued to call for Eren listening for any sounds in the house. He walked down to the first floor and noticed a chair was put in front of one of the doors in the kitchen. “Why is that there?” He wondered aloud and moved it, opening the door to a cellar.

He almost dropped his phone when he saw Eren at the bottom of the steps. “Eren!” He yelled rushing down to him. Eren was sitting with his body curled up. He saw Eren’s eyes turn to the light like a moth to the flame. Eren’s larger frame engulfed him as he pulled Levi close to him. “Eren, are you hurt?” Levi asked his hands roaming over the other man trying to look for anything, which was difficult since Eren was crushing him to his chest. “What happened?”

“You came.” Eren ignored the question and was crying. Levi could feel the tears hitting his shoulder. “You came for me.”

“Of course I did.” Levi said trying to push him away so he could get a better look at Eren. He grimaced when he saw Eren’s ankle was twisted in an odd way and Eren held his arm close to his chest, it was twice the size that it should have been. He saw blood on Eren’s head and Eren winced when Levi’s hand brushed across some of his ribs. “I’m going to call an ambulance.” Levi assured him.

“Levi. I need to get out of here.” Eren said his breathing growing erratic while Levi held the phone up to call 911.

“I’m going to get you out, but that ankle is obviously broken so you can’t walk upstairs. I don’t know what else might be messed up, so I don’t want to risk carrying you up myself.” Eren’s eyes were wider than normal and Levi could see the panic in there. “It’s ok Eren. I’m here. It’ll be ok. I’ll make this better somehow.” He held the hand that didn’t look injured and spoke to the operator. He gave them the details that he knew so far.

“We’ll send someone to your location shortly.” Levi hung up the phone and text Jean letting him know he’d be much later than he expected, if he would be home at all tonight. He had no intentions of leaving Eren while he was like this. Eren kept trying to get up on his own and Levi had to push him back.

“The ambulance is coming Eren. Just stay here for a little longer. I don’t want you hurting yourself more than you already are.” Levi looked at the steps, not noticing anything that would cause Eren to fall on his own. “Eren, what happened?” He tried again.

Eren inhaled a shaky breath. “Dad. He showed up to the open house.” Levi clenched his hand tightly. “He-he shoved me down here.” Eren was gripping onto Levi’s shirt, crumpling it in his hands. “It didn’t matter Levi. None of it mattered. It was just like when I was little all over again.” He started breathing heavily again and Levi pulled him close.

“Hey, he’s gone now. It’s not the same. I’m here now” Levi said trying to soothe him. His shirt was getting wet from Eren’s tears. He was beginning to inwardly panic. He didn’t know what to do in this situation. Levi thought of the things that Eren had done to calm him down. He continued to talk to Eren, knowing the man probably wasn’t really hearing a portion of what he was saying. “Can you breathe with me? Levi asked holding him to his chest. “Just listen to my breathing ok.” Levi took steadying breaths of his own and he felt Eren trying to mimic them. Levi heard voices upstairs and yelled from where he was, not leaving Eren even for a moment to meet them. He did move to stand out of the way as the paramedics came down. Eren was reluctant to let him go, so Levi made sure he was in Eren’s sight while the paramedics worked on him. They put Eren on a stretcher and hauled him up the steps. Levi followed them, picking up Eren’s broken phone that was on the floor.

“Are you family?” The man asked him as the other paramedic wheeled Eren to the ambulance.

“I’m his boyfriend.” Levi responded.

“Sorry. Only family can come with us. You can meet him at the hospital.”

“Tch fine. What hospital are you taking him to?”

“Rose Hospital. It will be awhile before he gets a room.”

“I’ll be there.” He told the man, leaving him to run up to Eren.

“Hey, they’re not letting me go with you, but I’ll see you at the hospital ok?” Eren reached for him with the hand they hadn’t braced. He grabbed it and kissed it, letting go when they were getting ready to lift him into the ambulance. He stood there until the doors shut then pulled out his phone again, calling Erwin this time.

“Levi, I was getting ready to call you. Hange has been panicking. Were you able to find him?”

“Yeah. They’re taking him to Rose hospital now. They wouldn’t let me go with him.”

“What!” Hange screamed in the background. “Why is he going to the hospital?” Levi held the phone back from his ear.

“He got hurt at his open house. His car is still here. I’ll explain more once I get to the hospital.”

“We’re on our way to come get you. Do you have someone with the kids or will we need to get them too?”

“Jean and Marco are there now. I’ll call Izzy and Farlan and see if one of them will stay until I get back.” After he got off the phone with Erwin he called Izzy and told her what happened.

“Of course I can stay with them. Do you need anyone to take you to the hospital Levi? I Can have Farlan come get you.”

“No Iz. I have someone coming. Staying with the kids is help enough.” He went inside and picked up all of Eren’s paperwork tossing it in his trunk along with the open house sign in the front yard. He slung Eren’s laptop bag over his shoulder, not feeling comfortable leaving it in the car here overnight. He locked Eren’s car doors and the house, holding onto the sandwiches. He didn’t know what to do with them and if they were going to be at the hospital late he figured he might as well take them with him. He rested them on the trunk of Eren’s car while he waited for Erwin to come. He saw the familiar truck pull into the drive, and he hurried to meet them, anxious to get back to Eren.

“I locked up and put everything away.” Levi said as he hopped into the back seat. He saw Hange eyeing the sandwiches hungrily. “I thought you were sick.”

“I was, now I’m starving.” Hange grabbed the tray from him and pulled it into her lap. Erwin looked over at her curiously. “Hurry up!” She mumbled through her food. “Eren needs us!” Along the way, he told them what little he knew, Hange threatening to find Eren’s father and behead him while she ate her sandwich aggressively.

“I know how to hide a body. I could get away with it.” She said with her mouth full. Erwin shook his head as he pulled into a spot, Levi and Hange barely waiting for him to put the car in park before they were both out and rushing inside, although Hange did keep the remaining sandwiches with her. Levi spoke to the lady at the front desk, asking where they had taken Eren.

“He hasn’t been put in a room yet. You can go to the waiting room on the third floor. I’ll let them know to come find you when he’s ready.”

Erwin pulled Hange along as she tried to ask the lady more questions, his grip reassuring. “She won’t be able to tell us more Hange. We’ll need to wait for the doctor.”

“Where’s Armin? He can get us more information!” Levi pulled her phone away from her as she tried to call him.

“They’ve all been drinking. Bert had to send me the address because Armin couldn’t even type it in. We’ll text them once we have more information to tell them.”

They took a seat in the waiting room and sat there for what seemed like hours. Levi watched the tv drone on and on, not paying attention to what was happening on it, but it gave him something to look at. Hange couldn’t sit still, she’d jump up every few minutes when she saw someone walking down the hall. Erwin put a reassuring hand on her thigh and spoke to her quietly. She pushed him off and ran down to the bathroom. Erwin stood up as well saying he was going to look for a vending machine. He asked if Levi wanted anything but Levi shook his head. When Hange sat back down she was much paler.

“Hange, if you’re not feeling well maybe you should go home. Or have someone here look at you.”

“I’ll go once I see Eren. I need to know how he is. My nerves are just shot and I ate too fast.” She looked up at Erwin gratefully when he returned with a bottle of water for her. He handed Levi a cup of coffee.

“Sorry I didn’t know how you took it.” Erwin said as he sat down next to Hange taking a sip of his own coffee. “I figured we’re going to be here for awhile and you’d need the pick me up.”

“Thank you. This is fine.” Levi took a sip and hid his distaste. He wasn’t much of a coffee drinker, but this was awful. He saw Erwin making a face too.

“Family of Eren Jaegar?” A woman asked standing in the waiting room.

“As close to family as he has.” Erwin nodded and pointed to Hange. “We’re listed as his emergency contacts. Erwin Smith and Hange Zoe.” The woman flipped through a couple pages on her clipboard nodding.

“They’re taking him in for surgery now. He’ll need to have a few pins put in place for his breaks. It’s going to be awhile. If you want to go home, we can have one of the staff call you when he gets out.”

Erwin looked between Levi and Hange then shook his head. “No we’ll wait here.” He pulled Hange toward him when she started to cry. The woman nodded again and left them letting them know the doctor would be out to see them once he was out of surgery. Levi leaned his head back against the wall. This was not how he expected to spend his night. He’d hoped to be cuddling next to Eren on the couch or in his bed. He tried not to overthink the day, but his mind wandered to what he might have been able to do differently so this didn’t happen to Eren. He mentally kicked himself. Eren had told him that his father was out, but he seemed so unworried about it that Levi didn’t worry about it either. He should have been there for him. He felt a tap on his thigh and looked to see Erwin was watching him carefully.

“Don’t start playing the blame game Levi.” Erwin said seemingly reading his thoughts. “Thinking about what you could have done differently won’t fix anything. You were the one who found him, Eren will be extremely grateful just for that.”

“But how long was he down there? I should have gone to look for him sooner.” Levi’s leg bounced as his anxiety went up. “You didn’t see him Erwin. He was so panicked. I’ve never seen him like that.”

“You didn’t know Levi. None of us did.” Erwin pet Hange’s hair as she laid next to him with her head in his lap. “I’m not surprised he was panicked. His father used to lock him in the basement when he was younger. He doesn’t do well in dark enclosed spaces. He wouldn’t even do his laundry at his home unless someone was there for quite some time. I thought we’d have to move the laundry room upstairs.”

“I hope Annie is the one who finds him.” Hange muttered. “I hope she beats him senseless. Maybe Reiner will do it.”

“Hange.”

“He deserves it. Obviously, he hasn’t changed since he was in prison. Who knows what vile things he spat at him before Levi found him. Why can’t he just walk away? Why does he always need to hurt him?” She buried her head as she cried some more.

“Come on Hange, let’s go for a walk.” Erwin said helping her stand. “We’ll be back soon Levi.” Levi watched as Hange leaned into him heavily, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist as he led her down the hall.

They continued to wait long into the night. Jean had messaged Levi for an update around midnight before he was going to bed. Hange was laying down with her head on Erwin’s lap again sleeping. Erwin had his head propped on his arm while he also slept. Levi sat with his knees close to his chest on a chair, resting his head on his knees while he watched whatever was on the tv. He saw the nurse who had seen them earlier come over with a man in a large overcoat and tapped Erwin’s shoulder. Erwin sat up straight and shook Hange awake as well as the man came to speak with them.

“The surgery went well. Mr. Jaegar is resting in his room now. We gave him some pain medicine and he’s just recovering from the anesthesia, so he may not be very responsive.” Levi half listened to the medical jargon the man was speaking, not really understanding it when he said what bones were broken and what was fixed. He just wanted to get to Eren’s side.

“Can we go see him?” Levi asked interrupting the man. He looked over at him and Levi ignored the frustrated look he gave him.

“Yes, you can see him.” Levi stood up and walked away while Erwin listened to the doctor talk. The nurse smiled at him and led him to the room. Eren’s leg was propped up with several pillows with a fresh cast on it and his arm. His eyes were closed as Levi stepped in the room and took a seat next to him. He pulled his uninjured hand to his lips and gave it a soft kiss. Teal eyes opened and turned to look at him.

“Levi.” Eren croaked. He tried to clear his throat and Levi looked for some water, holding up the cup with a straw for Eren to take a sip. Eren looked at him gratefully but didn’t try to speak again. Levi stepped closer and pushed away his hair kissing his forehead then his lips softly.

“You gave us all a scare. Be expecting Hange to come barreling in any minute.” Levi said with a smile. He noticed Eren had a hard time focusing on him.

“You stayed?” Eren asked

“Of course I did. I told you I’d be here for you waiting, didn’t I?”

“Eren!” Hange came rushing in like Levi expected, and Erwin had to grab her around the waist to stop her from jumping on him. “What he do to you? You want me to go murder him now? What did he say?”

“Hange. Don’t bombard him just yet.” Erwin admonished. He held Hange tightly as he came on Eren’s other side. “How are you doing kid?”

Eren looked up at Erwin and tears started to form. “I told them I didn’t want any drugs. But they gave me some anyways. I’m sorry Erwin.”

“Oh Eren, let them do what they feel is best.” Erwin said patting Eren’s shoulder. “We all don’t want you suffering, although I would like to let the doctor know you have an abuse issue.” Eren nodded. “Ok, thank you.” Hange had started stroking Eren’s head and brushing her hands across his face. “I’m sure you’re tired Eren. Now that we’ve seen you’re in good hands we’ll let you rest. We’ll be back in the morning.”

“Erwin. Work.”

“I’ll call them in the morning, and Hange and I will get your car home. You just focus on getting better. Are you coming Levi?”

“I’ll stay here. I don’t want to leave him alone.” Levi said holding onto Eren’s hand. Erwin nodded.

“Call us if you need anything or if something changes.” He pulled Hange away. “Come on Hange. Let him rest.”

“We love you Eren. Don’t you forget that sweetie.” Hange cried trying to hold onto the bed while Erwin tried to pull her away. “I love you so, so much. Eren pulled his hand away from Levi so he could touch Hange’s face. She pressed her head into it and kissed his palm. “We’re only a phone call away. You need anything I’ll get it to you. I’ll sneak in good food for you tomorrow.”

Levi watched them go. Eren had given his hand back to Levi once Hange was gone. Levi scooted the chair closer so he could rest his head on Eren’s chest. “If you want to talk you can, if you want to sleep I’ll be here when you wake up.”

“I’m really out of it. They gave me the good stuff. It feels awfully nice to feel like this again.” Eren said carding his hand through Levi’s hair. “I don’t think I’ll make much sense if I try to talk now. Thank you. For coming for me, and staying. My dad-he said no one would come for me. No one would care if I was gone.”

“You know that’s not true right?” Levi asked lifting his head. “You have a lot of people who care.”

“Yeah, I do, just being stuck down there, it was hard to remember that.” Eren closed his eyes. “I’m so tired.”

“Go to sleep Eren. You’re safe now.”

\-------

After several days of being poked and prodded, and of being interrogated by both friends and officers alike, Eren was finally allowed to go home. He couldn’t wait to lay in his own bed or move around and not feel like everyone has seen his ass at some point. He wanted real food and not the stuff they claimed was food. His frozen dinners blew the cafeteria food out of the water. Hange and Levi had helped with that at least. Both had snuck in meals for him, Hange’s being fast food while Levi’s were homemade meals.

Erwin held the door for him as he hobbled his way to Hange’s SUV. Hange stood by his side, carrying the odds and ends that people had brought him from home and some of the get-well gifts people had given him during his stay. Erwin had already taken some to his truck earlier when he was getting ready. Hange remained by him in case he stumbled on his crutches, although he would have been more comfortable with Erwin or Levi being there than Hange, worried if he did fall, he’d end up crushing the woman. Eren had intentionally kept his release time secret from Levi, knowing the man would call off work unnecessarily just to make sure he got home ok. He was already bitter that Erwin had taken the morning off, he wasn’t about to have Levi do the same, especially since he knew his boyfriend frequently fretted over money. He was sure Levi would be mad when he found out, but he hoped he might be able to play it off as a surprise to him instead. Levi had spent too much time fussing over him the last few days. While he was grateful for him, he didn’t want Levi to worry about him. Levi had enough of his own problems. While Eren admitted he was not in a good place when Levi found him and a short time after, he’d improved slightly during his stay. He was able to take his father’s words as just that. Words. They held no meaning, not anymore. His friends had all rallied around him in the hospital and he was rarely alone, even in the late night hours, someone was there when he woke up from one of his nightmares.

In some ways that was the thing he worried most about going home. He maneuvered himself to get into Hange’s vehicle as he contemplated how quiet his home would be. Hange had taken Heichou to the hotel while Eren was in the hospital. She was going to keep the cat for a few days while Eren got used to getting around the house, so he was going to be truly alone. A feeling he had not really encountered since Levi found him. He had no doubt his house would be a revolving door of people to check on him, but he was worried about what night may bring, what memories may rear their ugly heads once more. Erwin had taken Eren’s crutches from him once Eren got inside. He shut the door for him and put the crutches in the trunk. Hange and the items she carried went into the backseat. Erwin looked over at Eren as he got into the driver’s seat. “Are you ok Eren?” Erwin asked, his voice laced with concern. Eren had lied his head back on the headrest and had his eyes closed.

“Yep. I’m good. Just harder than I thought it would be.” Eren admitted. He’d stopped taking his pain meds after they stopped giving them to him regularly, which was a couple days ago. He was able to bear it in the hospital since he rarely moved around, but the walk down to the car and the effort it took to just get in the car was already taking its toll. He planned on taking some sleeping meds when he got home and sleeping it off for a few hours. “Hurry up and go before they decide to keep me longer. I want a real shower and my cozy bed please.”

“You shouldn’t be trying to shower alone dearie. Not for a couple days at least.”

“Nope. Not happening Hange. I love you, but there are just some things I really don’t want you seeing.” He said before she could continue, knowing she would offer to help him.

“Well you could keep on a pair of boxers if it really bothers you that much.”

“No Hange. I’ll be fine.”

“What if you slip and fall and hurt yourself some more? Won’t that be more embarrassing then letting someone help?”

“Fine. I’ll wait until Levi or Armin come over. At least Armin’s used to that kind of stuff.”

“I’m surprised my little nugget wasn’t here to help you get home. Where is Levi today?” Hange asked placing her head between the front seats.

“He’s working. I might not have said I was getting discharged today.” He ignored Hange’s judgmental stare. “There wasn’t any reason for him to take off work just to get me home. It’s bad enough Captain America here took the morning off. You at least don’t have to work, and the things you need to get done you can do anytime.”

“Eren we’re allowed to worry about you.” Erwin replied as he drove at what felt like a snails pace and made sure not to hit his breaks too hard and jostle Eren around. “I have time I can use, and this is just as good of a reason as any to take off.”

Eren sat in silence looking out the window. He was being stubborn and cranky and he knew it. He never thought he’d be happier to see his home when Erwin backed into his driveway. Hange jumped out and went to unlock the door for them while Erwin pulled out Eren’s crutches and Eren twisted himself so he could get back out. He looked down at the ground like it was his new enemy. He didn’t realize how high Hange’s car was until he was left with literally hopping out of the damn thing and hoping a flimsy crutch would stabilize him. Erwin must have read something on his face because he offered his arm to Eren instead of the crutches.

“Never thought I’d see the day I jump into your arms.” Eren joked as he jumped down on his good foot and Erwin held him in place while he got the crutches set up.

“You want me to carry you over the threshold too?” Erwin teased back with a wink. Eren laughed.

“I think Hange might get jealous big guy. Don’t want to ruin the good thing you two seem to have going on.” Eren slowly made it inside while Erwin kept himself a pace away. Close enough he’d be able to reach out and catch Eren if he stumbled but far enough away he wasn’t hovering as much as Hange was. Eren debated where he wanted to go. He didn’t want to seem like a bum and immediately jump into bed, especially since he assumed people would be coming over to see him once they found out he was home. He decided to camp out in the living room for now. His couch was comfortable enough if he ended up dozing off on the couch it wouldn’t be the end of the world.

“Hange can you grab some pillows so I can prop my foot up?” Eren asked giving the anxious woman a set task while he slid onto the couch and propped his crutches within arm’s reach. Hange came back with pillows and a blanket. He lifted his leg for her to place the pillows underneath and let her fuss over him a little as she put the blanket on him and fluffed the couch cushion behind him.

“You need anything else at the moment? Something to eat or drink? Here let me find your remote. Oh, and I’ll grab your charger for your phone in case you need it. What about your laptop? Do you think you’ll need that? Or how about some medicine?”

“Hange. One thing at a time.” Erwin said putting his hands on her shoulders. He saw the way she seemed to relax from the small gesture. Eren waited until she seemed a little calmer before answering.

“A glass of water is fine for now, and a couple sleep aids.”

“You don’t want any of your pain medicine?” Erwin asked pulling the bottle out of his pocket. Eren had asked that it not be left with him anywhere and instead one of the others would hold onto the bottle. It was better for Eren’s temptation that way. He didn’t want to slip up after his years of being sober. While pain meds were not his drug of choice once upon a time, it would be easy for him to fall into the pit again if left unattended. “The doctor said you shouldn’t wait until it’s unbearable before you take it. That’s almost as bad as abusing it.”

Eren eyed the bottle warily, finally shaking his head. “No, the sleep aids will be fine. I’ll just take a nap.”

Erwin handed the bottle to Hange who tucked it in her cardigan pocket while she searched for his remote and Erwin got his water and pills. He handed both to Eren who checked the pills first, making sure Erwin didn’t try to make a switch on him before swallowing them and taking a long swig of water.

“Erwin just take my car to work. If we need to leave, I’ll take Eren’s.” Hange said, settling in next to Eren on the couch, pulling a portion of the blanket over her while she also placed a bag of snacks between them. When Eren reached for the bag, she put a hand over his with an imperceptible shake of her head. “Have a good time at work sweetie.”

“Don’t give too many rugrats detention.” Eren said with a wave. Hange turned on the tv. “Do not put on a crappy soap opera. I’m not putting myself through that anymore.”

“But I need to know what happens between Carlos and Diana!” Hange wined. Since her schedule was the most open of the bunch, she had spent most of the days with him. His choices in channels limited he was left resorting between 2 different soap operas, the weather channel, or golf.

“Carlos should dump her greedy ass and go for Michael. The man is obviously still in the closet.”

Erwin chuckled as the two bickered between themselves. He gave Hange a kiss on the cheek. Eren stuck his face out too and eyed the other man expectantly. With another short laugh, Erwin kissed him on the cheek too. “Call if you want me to pick up anything when I get off work. I’ll come back to check on you.”

“Bye darling.” Hange said with a wave. Once she heard he was gone she pulled out the bag. “What do you want first? Sweet or salty?”

“Sweet please.” Eren said smiling as she handed him a bag of strawberry Twizzlers. She was already ripping through a large chocolate bar practically moaning next to him as she savored it.

“If you and the chocolate need some space, you’re going to have to go in the spare. Not like I can really leave here you know.”

“Sorry, it’s just so good. I’ve been wanting chocolate all morning.” She flipped through the channels and when they didn’t find anything to agree on, switched the tv to Netflix.

“Put a comedy on. I want to watch something lighthearted until I fall asleep.” He handed his phone to Hange, “Can you text Levi for me and let him know I’m home? It’s takes me forever to type.” Hange typed _hi honey I’m home_ and took a picture of the two of them on the couch together.

“I’ll tell him to find Erwin when he picks the kids up today. He can bring them over. Unless you’re not up to the kids being here yet?”

“No, I miss my little minions.” Levi hadn’t wanted the kids to come visit him in the hospital and be in the way, especially in the cramped room. “Although Mika’s going to be mad Heichou isn’t here.” He rested his head on top of hers while she leaned into his shoulder. Yeah, he was glad to be home.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if there's errors and typos. I wanted to get this chapter up. I'll go back and edit it sometime this week.

Someone was crying. Why was someone crying? Eren opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. He was still on the couch after coming home. The crying wasn’t on the tv. It was currently turned down low, but there was a comedian doing stand up on the screen. He noticed Hange wasn’t around anymore and worried maybe she hurt herself. He got up with the help of his crutches and followed the sound to the bathroom.

“Hange?” The crying stopped when he rapped his knuckle on the door. “You ok? Hey if it’s that time there’s some supplies under the sink. And I can get some sweats for you or something.”

“Idiot. Not every time a girl breaks down is it because of a damn period!” Hange yelled on the other side.

“Well, you did want chocolate earlier. And you’ve been moody lately.” He hit the door again. “Come on, open up it’s hurting standing like this.”

Hange swung the door open and he saw her sitting on the floor with tissues around her. He took a second to look her over making sure she didn’t get hurt before he slid his way down the wall and took a seat next to her. “So, if it’s not because of a period, you wanna tell me why we’re sitting on my bathroom floor?”

“I didn’t ask you to come in here.” Hange said sniffling and blowing her nose loudly with a tissue. “You should be sleeping.”

“Sorry. I have ears like a dog when it comes to beautiful ladies crying.” This got Hange to chuckle at least.

“Shame your powers are wasted being gay and all.” Hange teased back wiping her tears.

“Eh, I think it makes girls more willing to talk to me. Knowing there’s no ulterior motive.” He nudged Hange. “Come on. Tell me what’s wrong. Last time I saw you this bad was when I was recovering.” He frowned. “You know I’m going to be ok right? You don’t need to worry about me leaving you just yet.”

“It’s not about you. And you’d better not leave me. I’ll find some way to bring you back just so I can kill you.” She moved her hand amongst the pile of tissues until she found what she was looking for and showed it to Eren. He blinked a couple times looking at the offensive stick. “I’m pregnant.”

“Well, I wasn’t exactly wrong when I blamed a period. Just instead of it being because Aunt Flo came to visit it’s because she didn’t.” Eren turned to her the best that he could. “Why are you upset about this? I know you’ve always wanted kids.”

“I can’t. I can’t do it again Eren.” Hange said hiding her head in her hands. “I lost a baby once. When Erwin and I were together before.” She cried again and Eren pulled her toward him. “And now, I’m old.”

“You’re not old Hange. You’re in your thirties. Lots of women are waiting to have kids now.” He rubbed her back. “And there’s lots they can do now that they didn’t have even a few years ago. Just because you lost one kid doesn’t mean you’ll lose this one now.” She sniffled and rubbed her face into his shirt. “This is a good thing Hange. You and Erwin deserve this. Have you told him yet?”

Hange shook her head into his chest. “No. I just took the test. I’ve been scared to find out.”

“Do me a favor and tell him while I’m there. I really want to see when the big guy faints.” Eren said with a smile and Hange pulled away from him a small smile on her lips as well. “He’ll be happy Hange.” Eren told her holding her face away so he could look her in the eyes. He used his good hand to wipe off the tears. “Coming from the kid you practically raised, you’re going to be an absolutely awesome mom.” He felt his own eyes tearing up, especially when Hange squealed and shoved her head in his chest crying loudly. He held her while she cried telling her how much fun it would be to see the kid following around Mikasa, Connie and Sasha. How the kid would be the most protected kid out there with all the pseudo uncles and aunts it was going to have.

“How far along do you think you are?”

“3 weeks I think.”

“Well, we’ll need to get you an appointment with a doctor soon. And you’re going to need to take it easy for the next 8-9 months. Start letting your staff run the hotel more. You and I can be sloths while I recover and you take it easy.”

Hange chuckled. “That means we’re watching soap operas you know.”

“Fine. Even as a gay man I know better to argue with a pregnant woman. Especially you.” He kissed her forehead and remained by her side while she composed herself.

\-------------

“Eren!” Eren heard the sound of the kids coming through the house. Hange sat up, not realizing the time. “Eren why are you on the floor?” Sasha asked with her head tilted to the side.

“It was cooler down here.” Eren said with a smile. He leaned forward so the kids attention would be toward him and not Hange. “How you doing kiddos? Miss me?”

“Yeah we did!” Sasha came and sat beside him and Connie took a seat in the doorway. Mikasa pushed through them both and gave Eren a hug. “We brought Pretty Pretty Princess to play with you while you get better.”

“Yes! I can try to take my crown again. We can watch princess movies again too, although I don’t have as many as you do. I have different ones though.” Eren looked up to see Levi and Erwin looking at the group in the bathroom. “Hey guys, how’s it going?” He asked acting as normal as possible.

“Go grab your things out of Erwin’s car.” Levi told the kids while taking a look at the two adults. “Did you fall?”

“No, I came down here on my own, although now that I’m down here, I don’t think I can get back up.”

“What did you do to make Hange cry?” Erwin asked and Eren leaned back a little bit forgetting the scary face of Erwin smith.

“He’s not the reason I’m crying. You are.” Hange said and Eren watched Erwin’s eyebrows shoot up holding back the laugh while he thought about them flying away.

“That’s really my cue to leave, but honestly guys I need some help up.” He wrapped his arms around Levi’s neck while Levi pulled him up until he could stand on his good leg. Levi kept his arm around him while Erwin picked up his crutches for him and helped Hange to stand.

“You guys can talk in my room.” Eren said as he made it back into the living room avoiding the running children coming through the hall into his spare room. “I take it you’re all staying the night?”

“Yeah. Someone needs to be here to watch you.” Levi said with a pout.

“Aww you’re still mad I didn’t tell you I was getting out huh?” Eren smiled even though he was really starting to feel the pain again. “You shouldn’t be skipping work just to take care of me. I had Hange anyways.”

“What happened? Erwin didn’t say they got into a fight.”

Eren heard screaming in his room and laughter coming from Hange. “I’ll let her tell you. It’s fine now I’d say.” He flopped back into his spot on the couch trying to reach the pillows so he could put his leg back up. Levi saw what he was doing and helped. Eren gave his boyfriend an appreciative smile while pulling him forward for a kiss. “I’m glad you’re here now.” Eren said kissing him again quickly, letting Levi go when he heard the kids leaving the spare room.

“Hey! We bear the gifts of takeout!” Eren looked at Levi confused when he heard Reiner’s voice. Reiner smiled when he came into the living room. “Hear you escaped today.”

“I don’t understand why I had to read it in discharge notes instead of from the man himself.” Armin said with his arms crossed while he looked at Eren. “How’d you get home.”

“I ran.” Eren joked pulling Levi down to sit next to him.

“He didn’t tell me he was getting out either. Hange and Erwin got him home.” The kids made their way through the cluster of adults and went to climb on Eren. “Be careful he’s hurt.”

“They’re ok.” Eren said helping Mikasa get up and set her down in his lap while Connie and Sasha sat on the cushion his leg was propped up on. His friends made their way into the living room, Annie pulling the coffee table up closer while Bert got out his tv trays. Reiner and Armin laid out the food and Eren looked at it hungrily, not having eaten since he and Hange binged on snacks.

“Does it hurt?” Sasha asked her hands hovering over the cast.

“You can touch it Sash.” Eren replied watching her touch it carefully like it was glass. Mikasa had wrapped her arms around his chest as far as she could. “Give me food please.”

“Figured you’d be hungry.” Armin said making a plate for him. Eren moved Mikasa over so she was leaning up against the casted arm and he could use his good one to eat.

“Guess we won’t be going to the arcade again anytime soon.” Connie said looking at his casts.

“Hey kiddo. I’ll be up and around before you know it. Next appointment they may take the cast off and give me a boot instead. Then I’ll be able to walk around easier.” Connie nodded. “In the meantime, we’ll just have to play some of my video games huh?” That got Connie to smile at least.

“No Jean?” Eren asked Levi who shook his head.

“He was working tonight. I told him he could stay at the house if he wanted. Izzy said she’d make sure he got up for school.”

“Teenager’s home all alone huh? You trust him more than our parents did.”

“Our parents had reasons not to trust us.” Armin noted Bert and Reiner nodding their heads in agreement.

“Iz will call if Marco tries to stay.” Levi shrugged. “I don’t really mind. Rather they be safe than try to be sneaky about it.”

“I’m going to be a dad!” Erwin yelled scaring Mikasa in Eren’s lap and making him almost drop his plate. Luckily Levi’s quick reflexes caught it. Congratulations went around the room. Eren looked at the kids nervously hoping they didn’t ask. He wasn’t in the position to be able to bolt from the room. Levi held onto his plate while he ate making it easier on him. Luckily they seemed too absorbed in Eren to notice or ask questions.

Eren did his best to hide the pain he was in. Sleeping had only given him a small reprieve and while he enjoyed seeing everyone he also had to fight back the urge to tell everyone to get the fuck out of his house. Hange seemed to notice it first. She handed the pill bottle to Armin and gave Eren, Levi and the kids hugs, using the pregnancy announcement as a reason to go. Armin had gone to the bathroom shortly after they left. Eren laid his head on Levi’s shoulders. He wanted to go back to sleep again and he still wanted to take a shower. Levi left him so he could get the kids cleaned up for bed and get the room ready for them.

“Eren, you haven’t taken any of your pain pills yet?” Armin asked shaking the bottle at him. “You didn’t even take any when you were in the hospital?”

“I don’t want them.” Eren said looking away from both his friend and the bottle in his hand. “I’m fine without them.

“You should be taking them. It’s ok as long as you take them as prescribed.” Armin argued. Bert and Reiner decided it was their time to leave as well giving Eren a hasty goodbye while the two friends glared at one another. “If you don’t keep the pain down, you won’t be able to move and you won’t recover as quickly.”

“I’m fine Armin. Just drop it. I take some sleeping pills if it gets too bad and just sleep it off.”

“You can get addicted to those too you know.” Armin continued.

“Armin, let it go. Don’t force him to take them.” Annie said standing and taking the bottle from Armin. “Come on. I think it’s time to go. We’ll be back to check on you tomorrow Eren.” Annie knocked on the bathroom door and handed the pills to Levi as they were leaving. Eren sighed. Fine if he’d get addicted to the sleeping pills he just wouldn’t take those either. He’d take some aspirin tonight to just take the edge off his pain. He watched tv happy that his home was quiet save the sounds of the kids while they got situated for the night. He could hear Connie and Sasha talking in the spare room, but didn’t make out what they were saying. When it came time for them to go to bed they all wished him good night. Mikasa offering one of her stuffed animals to sleep with if it would make him feel better.

“What was the argument with Armin about?” Levi asked while cleaning up the living room.

“I don’t want to take my medicine. I’m scared to. Armin just decided to call me out on it. I’m ok though. It’s manageable.” Eren sat up and grabbed his crutches now that the path was clearer for him. “Will you take a shower with me? Hange wouldn’t let me take one earlier unless I had supervision and well, I’d prefer to be with you.”

“A bath might be easier.” Levi said looking him over.

“I’m worried I won’t be able to get out.” Eren admitted.

“I’ll get you out one way or another.” Levi said with a smile. “I am stronger than I look you know” He turned. “I’ll get the water ready. Let me take care of you for once.” Levi came to help him stand once the bath was filled. Eren hated feeling like an invalid and relying on others so much. He was supposed to be the one that people leaned on, not the other way around. He sat on the edge of the tub while Levi helped him undress and cover his casts with the protectors the hospital had sent him home with. He could get them wet but it was best if he kept them out of water as much as possible. Eren very ungracefully made it into the tub while some of the water splashed around him, luckily not much hitting the floor.

“Don’t worry. I was prepared for that.” Levi said putting the towels he grabbed on the floor before he undressed himself and slid behind Eren. Eren sighed and laid his head back looking backwards at Levi. He remembered the last time he’d been here with Levi. Under much different circumstances, but still with one being injured and leaning on the other for help. He stuck his leg and arm out as best he could while also trying to enjoy the way the water felt on the rest of him. Levi kissed his forehead before he grabbed the cup he thought to bring in too so he could rinse Eren’s hair. Eren closed his eyes while Levi massaged his shampoo in, enjoying the feel of his hands while he kneaded his scalp. He decided this was worth waiting all day. Levi rinsed and repeated and put in his conditioner, rinsing it out after Levi had washed his own hair.

“You going to clean up or you just laying there?” Levi asked after Eren showed no sign of moving.

“I don’t wanna. You do it for me.” Eren said smiling and turning his head so he could kiss Levi’s neck. Levi sighed but Eren could see him smiling too. Levi grabbed Eren’s loofah and put soap on it running it across Eren’s chest and arms and neck. He had Eren sit up more so he could wash his back, his smaller hands massaging the tight muscles Eren had.

“I can’t reach your legs.” Levi said in Eren’s ear swiping his thigh for emphasis.

“Fine I’ll do that shortie.” Eren teased. “Next time you’ll just have to sit in front of me.”

“Tease me about my height and there may not be a next time. I’ll just sit and watch make sure you don’t drown yourself.”

“Such a cruel boyfriend.” He finished cleaning up, noticing the hard on he had got from Levi’s soft touches. He sighed in frustration knowing he wouldn’t be able to do much about it. He cleaned Levi’s legs for him when he was done while Levi washed the rest of himself. Eren sat back again leaning into Levi. “I don’t want to move yet.”

“We can stay in here longer. Become prunes together.” Levi laced their hands together and kissed Eren’s neck and shoulder. “I’m glad you’re finally home. I missed you.”

“You came to see me every day.” Eren said with a smile.

“It wasn’t the same. We couldn’t be close like this.” Levi kissed next to Eren’s earlobe. “At least not without giving the nurses heart attacks.”

“True. This is a lot nicer. And I don’t have anything reading my pulse beeping like crazy when you kiss me.”

“Well that was fun.” Levi joked while he placed his hand over Eren’s heart. “I had no idea how much your heart races just from a kiss.”

“Only from yours.”

“Smooth talker.” Levi pinched his nipple before taking his hand away and pushing Eren forward so he could stand up. He dried himself off while he drained the water then wrapped the towel around his waist. Eren saw Levi’s eyes glance at his hard on, and it hadn’t gone unnoticed by Eren that his towel was currently tenting. Levi picked up a towel and wrapped it around Eren’s chest while he helped Eren stand. Eren braced himself with his good hand when he felt himself slipping, not wanting to take both of them down, with the help of Levi and a crutch he was able to make it over the edge of the tub and sit while Levi helped dry him off.

“You want me to blow dry your hair?” Levi asked after towel drying it.

“Nah. Its not like I’m going anywhere tomorrow.” Levi hadn’t thought to grab them new clothes for after the bath, but Eren held him still when he tried to go get them. It wasn’t like his bedroom was far anyways. A towel would suffice until they made it in there. He told Levi he could make it to his room on his own, feeling bad Levi stayed behind to clean up. Eren pushed himself onto the bed laying down with a long sigh of relief. He didn’t realize how wonderful his bed was until now. He didn’t bother with clothes, just pulling the sheet over him and laying like a starfish in the middle of the bed.

“I’m going to throw these towels in the wash.” Eren tossed the towel he wore onto the pile in Levi’s hand. “I’ll be right back.”

Eren closed his eyes while he waited. He was glad Levi was staying with him tonight. He recalled his fears of being alone when he came back, and whether Levi had picked up on them, or he wanted to be near him just as much as Eren needed him right now, he didn’t care. Not only was Levi here, but the kids would be moving around in the morning too.

Levi came back in, only wearing the fresh pair of boxers he’d thrown on before he’d taken the wash.

“Do you intend to sleep like that? I can sleep on the couch if you and your bed need some time alone.”

Eren pulled his limbs in and beckoned for Levi to join him. “I’m sure my bed and I will get reacquainted over the next few weeks. I’d rather lay with you.”

Levi climbed into bed beside him, being careful to avoid his casts as best he could. He raised his eyebrows when he lifted up the sheet. “You want me to grab you boxers or anything?”

“Nope too much work.” Eren made sure to hold up his arm that was casted above his head so he wouldn’t hit Levi with it by accident. Levi laid his head down on his chest, his leg wrapping around his broken one to keep it down during the night.

“I’m really glad you’re home.” Levi said again.

“Yeah. So am I.”


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to get this chapter up so sorry if there's any typos or errors. I did a quick scan, but I usually don't catch things until a couple days after I write them.

_Worthless_

_Useless_

_Such a waste_

Eren could feel the warm breath next to his ear. He could hear his father’s words spoken over and over again while he circled around Eren like prey. He could smell the smoke and booze even when his father stood away from him. He could sense his father’s presence yet he couldn’t see him. There was nothing but darkness around him save for the small flickering of Grisha’s cigarette which was nearing its end. Eren instinctively flinched, remembering the feel of the cigarette butt when it touched his skin years ago. The pain never came, the anticipation of it almost making it worse. Eren felt trapped. His limbs weren’t working correctly which caused his father to sneer at him as he held the cigarette between his lips. _All that wasted effort, all that training and you still can’t do anything._

_Just end it._

_You’re being so bothersome to everyone anyways._

_They would be better off without you._

Eren’s breath hitched and he felt the tears. He began to struggle, but couldn’t move. He needed to get out of here. He needed to get away, why couldn’t he get away?

“Eren! Eren! Wake up!” Frightened Teal eyes opened to worried gray ones above him. It was so dark. He kept blinking as though it would make it better. “Eren, it’s just a dream. You’re ok.” Levi spoke quietly now that Eren’s eyes were open. Eren looked around frantically reality slowing returning and leaving breathlessness in its wake. His limbs were tangled in the sheets and Levi was straddling him holding down his arms which he now carefully released.

“I need light.” Eren croaked barely recognizing his own voice. Levi nodded above him and reached over to turn on the lamp by Eren’s bed. Eren would never admit it, but that lamp was on every night he slept alone. As light filled the room, he felt the pain in his chest lighten slightly. His breathing was still erratic, and he remained trapped by the sheets, trying frantically to get them off of him.

“Eren. Breathe.” Levi’s voice remained quiet, soothing while he helped untangle Eren, and also himself, from the bedding. He carefully laid a sheet back over once his limbs were loose, trying to stop the shivering that Eren didn’t even realize. Levi laid down beside him, not wanting his weight to add to Eren’s anxiety. His smaller hands stroking Eren’s face while Eren came back to reality completely. He remembered where he was, and why his arm and leg still felt so heavy. He looked over at his cast rather than at Levi. His breath hitched again and he tried to cover his eyes but Levi was already wiping away the tears with a tissue.

“I’m sorry.” Eren said looking up at the ceiling.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for.” Levi assured. He propped his head up on his elbow while looking at Eren. They remained silent until Eren’s breathing returned to normal, his hand subconsciously running across his side where the burn marks were most prominent. He didn’t realize he was doing it until Levi’s hand covered his own and carefully pulled it away. Eren stopped looking at the ceiling and returned his gaze to Levi who softly kissed his hand while holding it in his own. “You feeling better? Do you want anything?”

Now that his mind was back, he was increasingly aware of the pain he was in. No doubt increasing after his battle with the sheets. He swallowed hard and closed his eyes. “Can I-. Can I have a pain pill?”

“Sure. Give me a second.” Levi got off the bed and pulled on a pair of sweatpants from his bag. He left the door open when he left the room. Eren could hear the sound of water running and the shaking of a bottle before Levi returned. Eren propped himself up in the bed. Levi handed him the water first then opened his other hand for Eren to take the two small pills sitting on his palm.

“The instructions said two of them.” Levi explained when Eren didn’t take them. Eren continued to stare at them for a moment while Levi waited patiently. He hated how something so small and insignificant could hold so much sway over him. His father’s words ran through his head as he hesitantly reached for them. He looked up at Levi’s face, worried he’d see the same look of disappointment as he saw on his father’s so frequently growing up. But Levi was nothing like his father. His face was full of understanding and unlimited patience while Eren warred with himself. Levi showed him nothing but love. No teasing like Reiner would have done by now. When Eren took the pills, Levi’s face didn’t change. He tossed them back and took a sip of the water Levi had brought until he swallowed them. Levi smiled at him and took the water from him while walking over to the other side of the bed. Eren almost laughed when he saw Levi pull a tissue out and place the cup over top it before climbing into bed again. He shuffled over and wrapped himself around Eren placing his head over Eren’s heart. He made no move to shut the light off again which Eren was grateful for, even though it meant Levi could see his face. He hated himself for still being weak.

Levi for his part, remained quiet, lightly running a finger over Eren’s chest in a random pattern that was soothing to him.

“You should go back to sleep Levi, don’t you need to work in the morning?”

“I’m fine. I’m used to running on just a few hours of sleep.” He turned his body so he could reach his charging phone on the nightstand. “I’d be getting up soon anyways.”

Eren hummed in response. Looking up at the ceiling. He was grateful once again that Levi didn’t push the matter with him, he was just there. He closed his eyes, but knew he wouldn’t fall back to sleep again. Levi continued to soothe him, occasionally planting a kiss wherever he could reach. Eren tried to push away the nightmare, along with the hateful thoughts that continued to plague him. He realized he hadn’t been taking his other medications regularly since he was in the hospital. They’d given him some substitute while he was in, but he hadn’t taken his usual since he returned. He hoped that was the reason behind his dark thoughts, but knew his encounter with his father had taken his toll as well.

Levi’s alarm began to buzz and Levi silenced it. He was slow to get up which was odd for the raven. Unless he was dead beat tired, he was quick to move when his alarm went off, knowing he had to get the others up as well. He seemed hesitant to leave Eren so he tried to make the choice for his boyfriend and move to get up as well. He didn’t have anywhere to go like the others, but he could at least go to the living room as he was sure someone was going to be with him during the day. He was certain his friends had made some sort of schedule together. He pushed Levi gently away while he made his way to the edge of the bed and sat up rubbing his face with his good hand. He looked down, forgetting he’d not put anything on when going to bed. He felt Levi getting up and he started to change into his hotel uniform sans the top. For now he just wore a black long sleeve shirt that Eren could tell was getting worn down. While Levi had gotten better about getting things and handling his money, when it came to his own self he was very frugal, only buying the bare necessities. Eren had yet to see him get warmer clothes for himself, but he tried to increase the kids wardrobes when he had extra money left over after bills.

Levi had come to stand in front of him while he had spaced out, a look of concern on his face. “I can call off if you want me to. Hange probably wouldn’t mind.”

“No. I’m fine. I’m just thinking, and the meds are starting to kick in.” He tried to smile for Levi, but the shorter man wasn’t buying it. He saw Levi had grabbed him a pair of boxers and sweatpants. He held out his hand to take them, but Levi shook his head.

“I’ll get them on for you.” Levi said already kneeling down to put the boxers on over his cast. “Should get you a pair of those pull away pants until your leg is better so it’s easier for you.”

“They still even make those?” Eren idly wondered not recalling seeing them in recent years. Levi shrugged as he tried to get the sweatpants on over the cast as well.

“Probably can find them in one of the thrift stores, or online I’m sure.” He pulled both items up to Eren’s thighs.

“Here. I’ll get the rest just help me balance.” Levi nodded and stood waiting for Eren to do the same. Eren put his cast arm over Levi’s shoulders and was careful not to put weight on his leg as he hopped up balancing on his good foot with Levi’s help while he pulled his clothes on the rest of the way. He sat back down again while Levi searched for a shirt, choosing just a simple v-neck black t-shirt. Eren took it away from him and put it on. He stretched out the sleeve of the shirt pulling it over the cast. Silently he counted down the days in his head before the casts could come off. He knew he was lucky to only have a few broken bones after his fall, but the whole thing frustrated him to no end.

Levi held out his crutches for him, but told him he could stay in bed if he wanted to. Eren waved away his concerns telling him he wanted to see the kids off today. He made his way into the bathroom to freshen up while Levi went to wake up the others. He looked through his medicine cabinet and didn’t see any of his normal items in there. Armin must have hidden his aspirin and other over the counters just in case. He frowned when he didn’t see any of his meds anywhere. He’d have to message Armin and see if he moved them or took them. He opened the door when he was done after hearing the children moving about. He heard Sasha’s laughter and smiled. He wished he had half of that girl’s energy. He managed to get to the living room and planted himself back on the couch where he spent most of the day yesterday. Connie came out of the room with his bag and went into the now vacant bathroom. He could hear Levi in the kitchen. He’d have to give his boyfriend money to get the kids breakfast on the way to school today. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d been grocery shopping and with his time in the hospital he didn’t know what might be good still or not. He told Levi as much when the man came into the living room with a cup of coffee for him, made just the way he liked it.

“Don’t worry about it. I found something for this morning.” Levi said with a smile and giving Eren a kiss before the kids came out to get their food. “Although if you think of it, start making a grocery list. I’ll bring some of my stuff from home too.”

It took a minute for Eren to realize what he meant. He intended to stay with Eren while he recovered. Whether that had always been the plan or he’d grown concerned about him after his nightmare. Either way Eren didn’t particularly mind. He enjoyed staying with Levi and the kids. He watched as Connie and Sasha ran through his hall laughing at one another, Mikasa running after them looking confused but wanting to play in whatever game her adopted family was doing.

It was nice to see his house filled with people. He’d been here alone for so long, and he didn’t really imagine it changing for some time. Now, Levi and the kids seemed to fit right in and made it their home. He’d talked once to Reiner about him moving in with him when they had been together, but that had been at the end of their relationship and Eren quickly understood after why Reiner was so hesitant about it. He knew it was still very early for him and Levi, but he wondered how he would feel about living together. The guilt still gnawed at him and the voice told him Levi wouldn’t be here if he thought Eren could take care of himself. Levi protested when the kids brought their bowls of oatmeal into the living room. Eren held onto Mikasa’s while she got up and sat beside him resting her head on his side. Sasha came in holding two bowls, and while she longingly looked at the one, she handed it to Eren before taking a seat beside Connie.

“Since when do we eat in the living room?” Levi asked his hands on his hips while he looked at his young charges.

“But we’re not at home.”

“Eren doesn’t seem to mind.”

“Eren would have to eat alone if we ate in the kitchen.”

Each child gave their reasoning, but it was Mikasa’s that had Levi soften. Eren smiled at her. The Ackermans really had him wrapped around their fingers. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead before giving a small shrug. “Connie’s right. I don’t mind. My house my rules.” He grinned at his boyfriend, knowing if he was in better shape he’d be in a heap of trouble with the younger man. Levi rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh before returning to the kitchen, presumably to eat his food and clean up before they left.

“Good morning my lovelies! Levi, stop cleaning. I’ll take care of it when you go.” Hange peeked into the living room and saw everyone finishing their breakfast. She took a seat on the cushion Eren’s foot was on, situating the pillows better under his knee. “Did you all have a good night?”

“It was fun.” Sasha said happily while Levi stood in the doorway wiping his hands. “We’ll be back over right?”

“Yeah. We’ll need to stop at home after school and pick up some more things. Jean will be coming over with us too. I don’t want him being home alone too long.”

“I’ll make sure the couch is ready.”

“There’s a load of laundry in the wash. I can throw it in the dryer before I leave.”

“I’ll get it. Eren and I only have a day of binge watching tv and looking at homes in our future anyways.”

“Homes?” Eren asked, his eyebrow quirked. Hange beamed at him while Erwin came into the living room.

“Well, neither of our places are that big.” Hange noted. “Thought maybe it’s about time I move out of my place of business. Although it means I’ll have to be one of those people who actually commutes to work now.”

“Oh no, the horror.” Eren joked. He waved to Erwin. “Make sure you park far away so they don’t get teased the principle is taking them to school.”

“They will be fine. Have a nice day. Don’t let Hange do too much.”

“We shall remain couch potatoes until you return.” Eren said with a smile and leaned his head on Hange’s shoulder while Hange patted his head affectionately. Levi made sure the kids had everything they needed for school before throwing on his uniform shirt. He came over and kissed Eren before he left ignoring Hange’s cooing sound.

“Call me if you need anything. I’ll be over after the kids are off from school.”

“I’ll be here. Probably be asleep but still here. Have fun at work honey.” He joked trying to put his boyfriends mind at ease.

Hange waited until she heard the truck starting. “Think they’re gone now?”

“What snacks do we have today mama Hange?”

\-----------

Levi was cooking dinner at Eren’s place when his phone rang. He picked it up not looking at the contact while continuing to stir the sauce he was making. “Hello?”

_Hi Levi. I came over for an inspection, but no one was there._

“Oh hey Petra. We’re at my boyfriends place. He got injured and finally was released from the hospital yesterday.”

 _Boyfriend?_ Levi heard her voice squeak. _Oh, well I still need to do an inspection will you be back later? Or I can go there, especially if you and the children go there frequently._

Levi wasn’t sure if he should say anything about them staying here or not. “Um hold on.” He walked into the living room where Eren was sitting with the others playing a board game. “Hey, Petra wants to see the kids for an inspection.” He said after he got Eren’s attention. “She wants to come here.”

“Sure, that’s fine. But if you need to go home, I’ll be fine for the night.”

After last night’s events Levi wasn’t so sure and he didn’t feel comfortable leaving Eren alone. He had seemed off since then, but Levi put it off as the after effects of the nightmare and his trauma. “You can come here. I’ll send you the address.”

“Hey, hold off on the game kiddo’s. We need to clean this place up if Petra is coming.” Jean said while Levi continued to talk to Petra. “Eren, there’s enough air mattresses for all of us technically right?”

Eren nodded. “The couch is a pull out, and there’s 3 air mattresses. There’s a room in the basement Erwin uses if he stays. You can put one down there for show. One of them are down there already that just needs pumped up. There’s a small air pump in the closet.”

“Got it.” Jean walked passed Levi as he was hanging up the phone Sasha and Mikasa picked up the trash and random things in the living room while Connie pumped up the other air mattress in the bedroom. Eren directed Levi to the bedding so they could set everything up to child services approval. Jean came back up after the room in the basement was done and went to help Levi in the kitchen.

“Good thing you went shopping after school today.” Jean said, stacking Eren’s mail against the wall. “I’m not sure what she’d look for in someone else’s house, but can’t hurt to cover all the bases.”

Levi nodded taking a second to stir the pot before he went into Eren’s room, making sure there was nothing he wouldn’t want Petra to see in there. He smoothed out the sheets even though he’d made the bed before he left in the morning. Mikasa was holding Heichou when he came out. Hange had brought the little guy back when she’d come this morning.

“Will the lady take Heichou away? Should I hide him?”

“Petra’s not going to say anything about Eren’s cat.” Levi promised patting her on the head. Just make sure Heichou is out of Eren’s way ok? I don’t want either of them getting hurt because he gets underfoot.”

“Ok. I’ll keep him with me.” Mikasa promised carrying the cat with her back to the living room. She set the cat down in its little pet bed and the cat seemed content to stay by her side.

Levi returned to cooking dinner, not wanting the sauce go to waste. He had Jean grab him the spaghetti noodles and get them going while he tossed the cooked meatballs in with his sauce. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it was something the kids loved even if it often led to messes. For that reason, he had Jean set the table on the back porch where it would be easier to clean and for Eren to sit. He called to the others, making everyone’s plates, while Jean took them out for him. He took out the garlic bread he made and set it on a plate as well when Eren slowly went through the kitchen using his crutches.

“You need any help?” Levi asked as Eren came in.

“Just get the door for me. I don’t trust myself to handle getting it and using these damn things.”

“I got it for you Eren.” Jean said standing by the door. He held one arm out as Eren hopped down the two small steps. Levi grabbed the last of the plates server style and walked out with them while Jean still held the door.

“I’ll get drinks and cups.” Jean said.

“Hange made some iced tea if you want that.” Eren said taking a seat on the edge of the bench.

“Do you need your foot up? I can grab a chair.”

“I’m fine for a little while. Stop your fussing. Relax.” Eren said reading Levi’s anxiousness.

“Sorry, it’s been awhile since there was an inspection.” Levi admitted.

“It’ll be fine. Sit down.” Eren smiled up at Jean who was making everyone’s drinks for them. “I’m not tipping you, you know.”

“Shut up. I’m just trying to help.” Jean said.

A car pulled into the driveway and Levi stood up to greet Petra. She gave him a small wave as she shut off her car and came over.

“I was finishing making dinner when you called. Is it ok if they eat while you look around?” Levi asked. “Or there’s lots of extra if you want to sit with us.”

“Maybe I’ll have a small plate while I talk to them. It seems better than the take out I would have when I leave.”

“Go ahead and sit. I’ll get it for you.” Levi said going back inside to make her plate. He could hear her talking to the kids. She was asking them about school. Connie was doing most of the talking when Levi came out with her plate. Petra had sat herself on the edge between Sasha and Connie. Mikasa had gone to sit in Eren’s lap and while Jean cut her bowl into smaller bites.

“I usually don’t see Mikasa interacting with anyone but her siblings or Levi. I barely ever get her to say anything to me, yet she seems to have warmed up to you.”

“That’s because we bonded over dolls and princess games huh Mika?” Mikasa nodded while reaching for her bowl. Eren grabbed a napkin and tucked it into her shirt.

“Eren also has a cat. His name is Heichou. He let us name him.”

“Oh. Well that’s nice.” Petra said with a smile. She looked around at all the children. “Any plans for Halloween?”

Ah. Levi had forgotten about Halloween since so much had happened recently. It wasn’t something they had celebrated before. Last year, Sasha and Connie had used rolls of toilet paper to make themselves mummies and get candy, but Levi had never been able to afford them real costumes.

“We don’t usually do anything other than whatever the schools have going on. Even then we don’t dress up.” Jean answered for them. “Costumes aren’t worth the money.”

“We could this year, if you wanted to.” Levi said. “I should be able to afford it this time. Or maybe I could make something.”

“It’s ok if you don’t. I was just curious. This is really good Levi.”

“Thank you. It’s nothing special, but the kids like it.”

Petra continued to ask the kids questions about school and what they did for fun. After dinner, she took each of them inside individually so she could talk to them without Levi or Eren present. Levi’s knee bounced and he chewed on his nail anxiously.

“I’m sure it’s fine.” Eren assured him. He leaned forward. “Could always tell her what we did to save her ass too if it came to it.”

“I wouldn’t do that. That would be no better than Elise blackmailing me.” Levi whispered back.

“I know. I’m just being a dick.” Eren admitted.

“Are you in pain again?”

“Nothing I can’t manage. I don’t want any more pills. I was too out of it today.” He quieted when Petra came out with Jean. The teen looking annoyed, but didn’t seem bothered by the conversation.

“Ok. Everything seems to be in order. Thank you Eren, for letting me look around.”

“Anything for the kids.” Eren said wholeheartedly. “I know how important they are to Levi and how important Levi is to them.”

“Yes, they all seem much happier each time I see them. I hope you get better soon. I’ll be in touch Levi.”

“Have a good night. Stay safe.”

Eren waited until the car was driving away. “So, how you think it went?”

“Fine. She kept harping on me not to be working as much though. I’m still keeping up my grades and holding up my end of our bargin.”

“You tell her you don’t pick up the extra shifts for money, but so you can spend them with your boyfriend?” Eren joked, earning him a towel in the face.

“No. I didn’t say anything about Marco. She asked a lot of questions about you though.”

“Probably trying to decide if I’m a serial killer or not.” Eren joked. He grabbed his crutches and sat up. “Well, we have a game to finish before bed time.” He looked down at the table full of dishes. “I’d offer to help, but I think I’d end up getting in the way.”

“We got it. Go lay back down. If we need help we’ll call the others.” Jean moved to open the door for him. “Go ahead hop along.”

“Keep it up and I’ll just make you carry me stupid horse.”

While Levi cleaned up, Jean got the others ready for bed, assuring them that the new beds were just up for show and they could still sleep together. Jean even offered to take the extra bed in the spare room when the girls seemed upset.

When all the kids had gone to sleep, Eren sat up and went to his room. “Sorry, I know how you feel about cleanliness, but I don’t feel like a bath or shower tonight. Not like I did anything anyways.”

“Your house, your rules.” Levi said with a smirk. He pushed Eren’s thighs open so he could stand between them while Eren was sitting on the edge of the bed. He kissed him while running his hands through his har. “You need anything before bed? Sleep meds or pain pills? I don’t want you having nightmares tonight.”

“No pain meds, and the sleep meds only make the dreams more vivid so probably not a good idea.” He wrapped his arms around Levi’s waist. “Thanks for staying with me again. I know it’s a pain.”

“I kind of like the excuse to stay together this much.” Levi admitted. “Although I don’t care for the reason for it. Have you heard anything?”

“Nadda. Big brother’s been silent too since he first warned me. Not sure if he knows about what happened or not.”

“Well I hope they find him soon. I don’t want to have to worry about you when you do get well enough to go back to work.” Levi looked down at him, concern etching his face. “What are you doing for money now anyways?”

“I can still work a little from home. Like how Hange and I looked for places today. But I’ve got enough saved up that I’m good for a little bit and I have accidental insurance which wil start paying out soon. Mom also had a nice life insurance plan that I got access to when I turned 18.” He kissed Levi. “Don’t you worry about my money issues, just worry about you.” He flicked Levi’s nose affectionately. “Come on, I’m tired and I’m sure you are too.”

Levi nodded and walked around to get on the other side of the bed. He turned off the overhead lights as he passed the switch and shut the door, leaving it unlocked in case one of them needed him. He turned on the lamp and curled up to Eren. He was worried about the inspection, but for now he’d be happy with what he has now and not worry about what was to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any comments or suggestions? Anything you still want to see? Halloween costume suggestions maybe?


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween everyone!  
> Levi takes the kids trick or treating for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took longer than expected. Weekends are when I have the most time to write and last weekend was not a good one for me.

Levi sat outside waiting for the kids to get out of school. The air was beginning to chill more often and his thinner shirts weren’t really keeping him warm anymore. Eren had tried to get him to wear one of his coats this morning, but Levi had refused, opting for his hoodie instead. Now he regretted that decision, but he was glad the kids were warm at least. He was going to take the kids to the Halloween store and try to find costumes. After Petra’s visit, Levi began to feel guilty on the things the kids had missed out on, and he didn’t want them to miss anything else. Today was his payday so he could decided to take them shopping. He hoped to make them costumes rather than buy them, but wasn’t opposed if they were a decent price.

Armin had been off today and had offered to stay with Eren, although Eren didn’t seem too pleased with it at all. Over the past week, he had become irritable and depressed, still waking up frequently from nightmares. He’d told Levi just to stay home with the kids, but Levi didn’t want to leave him alone at night still. It didn’t seem to matter who stayed with him, but Eren had more patience with Hange than he normally did, not wanting to upset her. He’d checked to see if Armin was ok staying late, and he agreed also suggesting Levi don’t come over at all especially with the kids. He had no intentions of leaving the stubborn man alone no matter what his mood was. He’d handled far worse and Eren knew that.

Jean was the first to find him, Marco walking beside him but at a comfortable distance. Levi still wasn’t sure if they had told anyone at school yet and he tried not to pry. They seemed to be happy and Marco was a good kid from what Levi had seen so he had no issues.

“How were classes?” Levi asked as they joined him against the wall.

“Boring as usual. I may need to have Erwin start tutoring me on this history class.” Levi’s eyebrow quirked. “I’m still doing ok in the class, but I want to keep it that way.” Jean said catching the look Levi gave him. “I haven’t forgotten the rules.”

“Good, we’re still not in the free and clear yet.”

“More than likely I’ll age out by the time you are, but I won’t do anything that takes away the others either. You care if Marco comes with us today?”

“Sure. But if you two would rather go do something else, I’d understand.”

“I promised Connie I’d go with them this year since it will be a first for all of us. We may also go to a Halloween party later, so I need a costume anyways.”

“Do you have anything yet Marco?”

“No. I planned on wearing the same thing I did last year. Servers can dress up at work that week as long as it’s subtle and doesn’t get in the way. But now that we might go to the party, I thought I’d take a look around.”

“Leeviii” Hange yelled as she skipped over to them holding out her keys. “Where are the other rascals?”

“Haven’t seen them yet.” Levi said, pushing away Hange from her bear hug. “I just saw you at work. You don’t need to claw all over me.”

“You left before I could give you a ride sweetie.” Hange said pinching his thin shirt. “You’re going to get sick wearing stuff like this. We’re looking for a coat for you too.” She snapped her fingers when he was about to protest. “Don’t you dare try to say no to a hormonal pregnant woman Levi.” She waved at Connie and Mikasa as they walked hand in hand, Sasha was a few steps behind saying goodbye to Krista and Ymir.

“Everyone ready for some spooky shopping?” Hange asked happily clapping her hands. “Erwin’s going to meet us when he’s done working so we can get him a costume too. I’m making him dress up this year for school.” She turned to Marco and Jean. “Are you two going in your car?”

“Yes ma’am.” Marco said smiling. “I promised my parents I’d be home for dinner tonight.”

“You’re so adorable with the sir’s and ma’am’s. But they’re really unnecessary sweetie. Alright, you can follow me. Come my ducklings.” Hange ushered the kids to her car asking them questions on what type of outfits they’d want to get. Levi followed after them, still feeling guilty he hadn’t been able to make them this happy before. He hadn’t realized the things that they had missed because he never had any of them either.

“What are you going to get Levi?” Hange asked as he went into the front seat.

“I’ll probably just make something up.” Levi said. “Find things around the house to use.

“You can go as a mad doctor.” Hange offered. “Then you can have Eren in a wheelchair so he can still go out with you guys. Just get a pair of scrubs and a lab coat and some fake blood. Armin would probably let you borrow some of his scrubs too.”

“I’m not sure if Eren will want to go. He hasn’t wanted to leave his house since the accident.”

“I know sweetie. But it will be good to get him out.” She smiled as she looked at the three in the back. “Maybe you three can guilt him into it huh?”

“Yeah. We’ll help.” Sasha said giving Hange a mock salute.

They pulled into the parking lot and found Jean. Levi had to yell at the Sasha and Connie not to run into the building alone while Mikasa stared wide at the large displays outside.

“They’re not real Mika.” Levi said, seeing her distress. He picked her up so she could stay close to someone. She squealed when one of the displays moved while Connie and Sasha went in with Hange. She tucked her head into Levi’s neck and he patted her head.

Marco and Jean had gone off on their own after Levi assured the teen he and Hange could help the kids. Hange wanted to help the girls pick out their clothes so she bribed Mikasa to let go of Levi and he went over to help Connie.

“You want something scary or something from tv?” Levi asked as they perused the rows of costumes.

“Nothing too scary. I don’t want the girls being frightened of me.” Connie said as he touched one of the costumes. “I want something funny. Maybe something Sasha and I can do together.”

“Hmm.” Levi helped him look through the costumes that were available, giving some options but Connie kept turning them down.

“Connie!!! Do you want to match us?” Sasha asked excitedly, holding out a large costume set.

“What you want to do?” Connie asked intrigued.

“Mikasa wanted to be a cat. So that got me thinking what would go with a cat right? She held out the costume package. “Cat in the hat. Thing 1 and Thing 2. Then we can go around and be mischievous all day like in the story.” She looked up at Levi. “We wouldn’t even really need to buy the costumes. Just get red pajamas and blue wigs. Mika would need a red bow and the big hat.”

Levi looked at the package. While the two of them discussed. It wasn’t too pricey, and it had both the costumes in it. He probably would have spent as much on 1 costume looking at some of the prices. “We can just get the costumes. Then we don’t need to run around and find everything.”

They decided on it and went to make sure the costumes would fit both of them. Luckily they were still close to each other’s height. Mikasa was already at the changing rooms showing Hange a cute cat outfit with a black tutu and tail, while Hange positioned the ear headband on her head.

“Isn’t she adorable?” Hange said smiling. She added a red bowtie to her neck. “I thought instead of her wearing the hat, she could use it as her trick or treat bag, then you’d be able to see these adorable ears better.”

Mikasa smiled up at him while she twirled for him. “Very nice Mikasa. You happy with it?” Mika nodded. “Alright. We’ll get it then.”

With the three youngest out of the way, he and Hange looked through the adult costumes. Erwin came to join them shortly after the kids had changed back in their clothes. Hange ended up going with a Captain Marvel costume when Erwin had picked up the Captain America outfit. Levi laughed to himself knowing that was Eren’s nickname for the man. He teased the blonde saying he didn’t even need to dress up much to pull it off. Hange on the other hand, was looking through blonde wigs. Marco and Jean joined them each holding a package. “What you end up getting?” Levi asked curious.

“Holmes and Watson. So, we can still wear them at work and at the party. Or we thought about butler costumes too.”

“I like the Holmes and Watson ones.” Levi said looking at the two packages.

“You decide yet?” Jean asked looking at Levi’s empty hands.

“I’m not sure. Hange suggested a doctor. And then Eren could be the patient.”

Both of the teens grabbed an arm and pulled him to the isle with hospital costumes and Levi decided on a simple long jacket and an accessory kit, along with some make up if he decided to do a horror version. As they were checking out, Levi turned to Jean. “You coming back to Eren’s or you staying at our place tonight?”

Jean shrugged. “Eren’s. I don’t mind sleeping with the kids or on his couch. Not like we haven’t had it worse before. You ever hear anything from Petra after our last visit?”

Levi shook his head. “Just that next time she’d need to do an inspection at the house, and it will be coming up soon.”

Levi paid for all their costumes and followed Hange to the car. Hange demanded they stop to get Levi a new jacket. While he and Hange shopped, Erwin took the kids in to get some food while Marco and Jean went to Eren’s house. Hange kept pushing away the thinner cheaper jackets Levi picked up and was finally satisfied when he chose a long gray peacoat.

“You walk too much not to have a good warm coat darling. If you had a car, I might let it slide.”

“I got my permit the other day. Eren said he’d start letting me drive his car and be his chauffer. I’d prefer not to have the kids in the car with me while I’m learning though.”

“Erwin would take you too.” She wrapped her arms around him and squealed. “Oh! I’m so proud of you darling!” She kissed his cheek loudly and Levi wiped off the saliva on his face as he walked up front to pay for his coat. They met up with Erwin who was still waiting on their food. Hange grabbed his elbow and was talking to him, Erwin nodding and both of them looking back at Levi.

“I have no problem taking you for lessons Levi. I taught Eren how to drive when he was younger. I’d offer for you to drive home, but I don’t know if you want to try to drive the truck just yet.”

Levi shook his head. “I think I’d rather learn in something smaller, and something automatic, but I would like to learn a stick shift too so maybe once I’m more comfortable. Thank you Erwin.”

“Not a problem. Glad to help.” His name was called and he picked up the food waving the kids on in front of them. “Come on, let’s see if this will cheer Eren up some.”

Armin was standing in the kitchen when the others arrived. “Hey Armin, how’s it going?” Levi asked as he came in. The kids wanted to show Eren their costumes and rushed past them.

“Ugh. It’s been a long day.” Armin said brushing his fingers through his hair. “I saw he took some of the pain meds, but he refused to take any for me.” He handed the bottle to Levi. “I know he’s scared to, but it’s also why he’s so damn irritable. So see if he’ll take them for you.”

Levi nodded and walked into the living room. Eren was sitting where he usually was. He was smiling for the kids as they showed him what they got.

“Cute. I like the idea of matching outfits.” Eren said scratching Sasha’s head as she was the closest. He smiled at Levi, but Levi noticed it didn’t reach his eyes at all. “What did you decide on?”

Levi showed him what he got, explaining he thought it would be a way for Eren to still come with them.

“You are coming right?” Sasha asked

“Pft and miss out on free candy? No way.” Eren chuckled.

“Go hang them up in the closet please.” Levi said taking a seat next to Eren. He waited while they left “Armin said you had a bad day.”

Eren leaned his head on Levi’s shoulder. “I’m just tired and sore. I can’t wait until these stupid things come off. I feel so useless.”

Levi kissed his cheek and ran a hand through his hair. “You’re never useless. In fact, I need some help with some of my assignments. I wanted to get through some of them soon and since there’s more people here tonight I thought it would be a good time.” He trailed his kiss from cheek to lips.

Eren pulled on Levi so he was sitting more on his lap. “I really do love you.” Eren said softly and kissed him properly. “I don’t know what I would have done if this happened and I didn’t have you and the kids.”

“Well, you won’t have to find out.” Levi promised.

“I think I’d prefer a sexy nurse costume than a doctor. Just saying.” Eren winked at him and Levi rolled his eyes.

“You never played doctor as a kid? I’ll have to do a whole check up on you.” Levi ran his pointer down Eren’s chest over the shirt he wore.

“Eh, me and doctors don’t really get along. You’re happy to try and change my mind though.” He pointed at his casts. “I’m still out of commission for a few weeks.”

“Because of the casts?” Levi asked raising his eyebrows. “I figured it was because the kids have been here.”

“Well, that does put a stop on things too. I don’t want to traumatize them.” Eren shifted. “I can’t really _do_ much at the moment though.

“Oh those won’t stop us if you really want to.” Levi said with a smirk. “I’ll try to get someone to watch the kids this weekend so I can show you.” He kissed Eren again before sitting up. “Hange and Erwin got food. Erwin said it was one of your favorites.”

“Wings…” Eren nodded and smiled letting Levi leave him while he went to get the plates.

Armin had his arms crossed and was glaring at Eren in the doorway. “You’ve been a complete ass to me all day, and then you get all melty when he and the kids show up.”

“He’s got a cuter face than you do. And a nicer ass.” Eren said chuckling.

Levi ignored them while they argued with one another, going to the kitchen to find out what Erwin got. Hange and Erwin were in the kitchen kissing and Levi ignored them too. They’d been doing a lot of that when they were together now after Hange’s pregnancy announcement. Hange stepped away from Erwin when she saw Levi. “We could have taken care of it dear.” She opened up one of the bags and her face paled. “I’ll be back.” Hange said running into Eren’s bathroom.

“I was hoping she’d be ok by now. She said she was sick all day too.” Erwin noted with concern.

“It’s not abnormal, especially early on.” Armin assured him helping them with the food. Levi grabbed a water bottle out of the fridge and set it on the counter for when she came back out. She took the water bottle from him with a small smile holding it to her forehead for a second before drinking some.

“You want something else than this?” Levi said when she looked at the food with concern. “I can make you eggs.”

“And toast?”

“If that’s what you want.” Levi nodded. “Scrambled? It didn’t seem to bother you as much last time.”

“Yes please. Thank you for spoiling me.”

“You drove us around today. It’s the least I can do. Go sit with Eren, I’ll bring it to you in a minute.”

“Are you staying? You can have Hange’s food.” Erwin offered holding plates for himself and Eren.

“No. Annie made something tonight.” Armin said shaking his head. “I’m going to head out now.” Levi stopped him on the way and asked if he could borrow some scrubs for his costume. “Yeah I’ll bring an old pair over. I’ll get Eren a portable wheelchair from work too. If he gives you a hard time let us know.”

Jean came in after Armin left, looking disheveled. Levi glanced at Jean who blushed while Levi heard Marco’s car pulling out of the driveway.

“You’ll want to situate yourself better before you go in there. Hange and Erwin are still here and Eren will harass you.” Jean ran a hand through his hair and straightened out his clothes quietly saying thanks to Levi who pointed to the living room

He put Hange’s food on a plate and buttered some toast for her taking it into the living room. Everyone was seated and Hange was flipping through options of what to watch. She smiled gratefully at Levi swapping the remote for her plate and humming to herself as she ate.

Levi kept going through the shows until the majority agreed to it and went to collect Eren’s laptop before sitting down next to him. He also grabbed the black container he’d been given just a few days ago.

“What’s this?” Eren asked as Levi got situated using Eren as his backrest while Eren wrapped his arm around him. Levi had opened the container and Eren took the object out smiling. “You got glasses?”

“Shut up.” Levi grumbled. “I made an appointment like you suggested. They just came in.” Levi took the glasses from him and put them on. “I only need them when I’m reading.”

“They’re hot.” Eren whispered turning his head so he could see him better. “You’ve got the sexy librarian look going for you now.”

“Behave.” Levi said when he felt Eren’s hand brush across his neck. “And you don’t have to lie. I know they look stupid.”

“They don’t though. They look good on you. Seriously. Now be quiet before we get shhed again.” With his good hand he rubbed Levi’s neck and shoulders while he worked. Levi’s head lolled when he’d hit just the right spot and he bit back any sounds he wanted to make. The room filled with chatter as everyone ate. Hange and Erwin were sitting close to one another on the other side of the couch. The others had taken seats on the ground, using the couch cushions around them as their tables and Levi had to hold back the cringe. Jean was multitasking trying to get homework done and still play with the others and eat.

Hange was flipping through her phone and eventually came to sit on the cushion Eren’s foot was on. “I want to see this house.”

Eren popped a boneless wing in his mouth and wiped off his hands before taking the phone from her. “I remember this one. It’s a relatively new listing. It’s only a one story so I’d be ok taking you there if you want to see it. Doesn’t look like any open houses are set up soon.

“You can just stay in the car when we go.” Hange offered. “Or just do your realtor magic and then hang out. You don’t need to do all the bells and whistles for us.”

“I’ll set up the appointment. Why don’t you find a couple more you want to see too? We’ll make a morning out of it. I’m assuming weekend because of Erwin’s schedule?”

“Yes please.” Hange said as she looked through the pictures. “I’ll find my top 5 ok?”

“Sure Hange.” She returned to her seat and showed Erwin what she was looking at.

Eren helped him with his work, along with Hange and Erwin so he managed to get a lot done tonight before the kids started getting ready for bed. Hange and Erwin left after the kids told them good night. Levi got Sasha, Connie and Mikasa situated for the night and rejoined Eren and Jean while Jean finished the last of his homework. Levi handed the laptop to him telling him he could use it if he needed to while he stretched out on the couch and laid his head on Eren’s lap. Eren seemed unsure where to put his cast so Levi took that arm and held it around him while Eren’s other hand played with his hair. Eren put on another movie that they watched in silence until Levi heard the soft snores above him. He turned his body so he could get a better look. Eren’s head was tilted back resting on the top of the couch. He felt bad waking Eren when he knew he’d had trouble sleeping but also didn’t want him waking up sore from sleeping awkwardly on the couch. He sat himself up and shook him. “Eren. Let’s go to bed.”

“Hmm?” Eren asked opening his eyes slowly. “Oh, did I fall asleep? Sorry.”

“It’s getting late anyways. Come on. Bedtime.” Levi reached over him to grab his crutches by the wall.

“M’Kay. Night Jean.” Eren said noticing the teen was still in the living room. He let Levi help him up until he could balance himself on the crutches. Levi walked ahead of him, walking backwards in case Eren stumbled forward. He got them into Eren’s bedroom and shut the door behind them as Eren flopped onto the bed.

“You changing?” Levi asked as he saw Eren curl under the covers.

“I didn’t do anything or go anywhere. I’m squeaky clean still.” Eren said and Levi sighed. He begged to differ but tried hard not to let his OCD take over. They were in Eren’s home after all, and Eren had a hard time changing. They’d gotten better with baths since their first attempt. Less ended outside the tub than it used to, but Eren didn’t bathe every night because of the hassle.

“I’m going to jump in the shower then. You need anything? Or you want some of your medicine?”

Eren’s eyes opened. “No I don’t want any pain meds. Maybe some sleep aids though. So I don’t wake you up again.”

“Ok. Let me get them for you.” Levi walked to the kitchen and used a chair to get to the shelf where the medicine was. Eren had asked him to hide it for the time being after Erwin had chastised him for how much he was using it. He put the pain medicine up on the shelf and pulled out 2 of the sleeping pills. Collecting a cup of water he went to give Eren his medicine before he ended up falling asleep again. Eren took them and told him to go get ready for bed. Which Levi did, digging through the bag on the floor to find a pair of sweatpants and a tank top.

“You know, since you’re here so often now, you could take over one of my dresser drawers.” Eren offered as he watched. “And the kids stuff could go in the spare room’s dressers.”

“I don’t want it to seem like we’re taking over your home.”

“I like when you’re all here. My house was always too quiet.” Eren said as he lied back down. “It’s going to be weird when you stop taking care of me and the house is empty again.”

“You can always stay with us as much as you like. I just figured your house is easier for now since you don’t have steps.”

“Mmm. I might be able to handle it now that I’ve gotten used to the crutches. Could always just stay on the couch. Then everyone doesn’t need to be smooshed in my spare room.”

“They’re hardly smooshed.” Levi kissed his cheek. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“M’kay.” Eren said sounding tired again. Levi closed his door and went to the bathroom. He was quick about his shower but still made sure it was thorough enough for his standards. He wrapped one of Eren’s large towels around him while he brushed his teeth and dried his hair with a smaller towel. Fully dressed, he took all the laundry and put it in the wash after separating it. Most of it being him and the kids. He reminded Jean to go to bed soon when he saw the teen still working and closed the door to Eren’s room again.

Eren’s eyes were closed and he had his body turned toward the empty space where Levi had been sleeping as of late. Levi climbed under the covers and moved toward his furnace of a boyfriend. Eren’s eyes didn’t open, but a small smile was visible when Levi got close enough to him. Levi wrapped himself around Eren, also getting used to sleeping with the larger man regularly. He gave Eren a soft kiss on his lips and Eren sleepily responded.

“Night Eren.” He said pushing himself away before waking Eren again. “Sweet dreams.”

\---------

It was Halloween and Eren’s house was a mad house while everyone tried to get ready before school. Eren watched it all with interest from the comfort of his bed. Levi had left the door open, expecting Eren to get out of bed, but Eren wasn’t feeling up to it yet. Still he liked seeing the excitement going on. He’d seen the kids excited over things before, but this was the first real holiday he was spending with them, and their first time really celebrating it. The mood was contagious. He laughed when he saw Sasha and Connie in their Thing 1 and Thing 2 costumes. Both wearing bright blue wigs to top it off. Jean was ordering them around, dressed up in an old detective costume. He’d told Eren he was Sherlock, while Marco was dressed up as Holmes. He was glad the two of them were comfortable enough in their relationship to want to dress alike. But the outfits weren’t overtly suggestive of a couples costume like Eren had seen at other parties. He was kind of bummed he wouldn’t be able to really wear a couple outfit with Levi, but was happy his boyfriend thought of something to wear that went along with Eren’s injuries. Levi was working for the cleaning company today so he was currently just in his work clothes, his outfit hanging up on the door waiting.

“Eren do you like it?” Mikasa asked after Levi had finished putting on the rest of her finishing touches.

“You look like a pretty little kitty.” Heichou’s going to be jealous.” Mikasa smiled at him.

“Come on Mikasa. Erwin’s going to be here soon.” Levi said ushering her out. Erwin had offered to start taking them since it was getting colder and they were a farther distance at Eren’s home. “You’re not getting up?” He asked looking concerned. He walked in and ran his hand over Eren’s forehead. “You feeling ok?”

“I’m fine. Just still tired. I want to get some extra sleep before tonight. It’s been a while since I’ve been out of the house. Only other time was the doctors appointments.”

Levi frowned but nodded. “Okay. If you say so. You’ve been pretty quiet lately though.”

“Don’t worry about me love.” Eren promised pulling Levi closer so he could give him a kiss before he left. “Now go clean some shit.” He flopped his head back down when Levi shut the door. He turned to where Levi had laid last night, wishing Levi could just stay in bed with him today too. He’d managed to persuade everyone to leave him for the day, since everyone was going to be busy anyways. Everyone was working during the day so they could go out at night. He stretched himself out, fully intending to sleep most of the day away. At least until Levi got back. He was working the shortest shift amongst the group, he’d probably be home a little after lunch time. Eren put on some music and went back to sleep to pass the time.

Levi was trying to shake him awake and Eren rolled over to pull Levi toward him tightly. “Hey, welcome back.”

“Have you been sleeping since I left?” Levi asked taking a look around the room. Levi frowned. “If you don’t think you’re up to going, you don’t need to.”

“Not a chance mister. We’re not disappointing the kiddos. Even if I wasn’t good, I’d fake it until I made it through the day.” Eren held out his hand for Levi to help him up. “What time is it anyways?”

“Almost 2. The kids will be coming back soon.”

“Well, we’d better get ready then. They’ll have our heads if we’re late because they had to wait on us.” Eren smiled kissing Levi’s cheek. Levi still seemed uncertain but nodded, getting up to get his clothes.

Eren decided instead of just going as a patient, he’d dress as up as a deformed Frankenstein’s Monster. He put on one of his dark suits that was a little bigger on him, choosing a black turtleneck rather than his usual button up. It was still difficult for him to get dressed on his own, so Levi helped him once he was ready. Eren decided to wait until Hange showed up to do his make up rather than try to do it himself. He put on the wig Hange had brought him yesterday, covering up his long hair that was in need of a cut. He was starting to like it though, and debated growing it out. It was almost long enough now to get pulled back.

Levi stepped away from him once he was dressed and standing with the help of his crutches. “You’re right this was a better idea than just going as a patient. You look good.”

“Figured it would be warmer than the hospital gown. Plus spent enough time in that while I was in the hospital.”

It wasn’t long after they’d finished that they heard the children come rushing inside with Hange and Erwin already dressed in their costumes. Hange went with him into the bathroom to do his makeup while Levi made a quick snack to eat before they left.

“No Jean?” Eren asked as Hange put on the green makeup.

“He’s going to meet us there with Marco. They wanted to stop a couple places before coming out with us and then they have the party afterwards.” Hange said adding a couple lines in his cheek and over his eye. I think he’s good for Jean, finally getting the kid out and with people his own age.” Eren nodded in his agreement. He really liked Marco, especially after they had gone out for boy’s night and had really got a chance to be around him. Hange finished him up and nodded to herself pleased with the results. They joined the others in the living room, Levi handing them their plates once they were seated.

Once Hange had finished eating, she stood and started to pace in front of the others, making sure she had everyone’s attention. “Alright my minions. Today’s mission is to collect as much candy as possible. We will be breaking into teams to achieve this goal. Each of you will be with one of us. We shall relay to one another if there is a home that has especially good treats or is giving out more than the others. After we have completed the mission, we will regroup then go and harass Eren’s friends and collecting treats at the apartment complex. Any questions?” The three youngest shook their heads. “Lets move out!”

Eren laughed at Hange’s enthusiasm. Hange smiled at him. “Gotta have fun with it. You’re in Erwin’s truck. I already have the wheelchair in my trunk.” Everyone piled into their respective vehicles while they drove to Levi’s neighborhood, expecting to get better pickings there since the homes were closer together and closer to the school. After they got their treats from Farlan and Isabel, they split up. Erwin took Connie, Hange was with Sasha and Levi and Eren had Mikasa. She walked beside the wheelchair while Levi pushed him around. They passed Jean and Marco who waved at them. Jean saying he was going to meet up with Connie and Erwin. Mikasa ran excitedly from house to house while Levi and Eren stayed farther back. Eren ended up becoming the pack mule for the treats after Mikasa’s hat got too full. 

“This just means I get first dibs.” He teased. Mikasa didn’t seem bothered by it though. She was a bundle of energy tonight. They met up with the others and each of the children changed directions, hitting the homes they didn’t. “So why did we have them break off again?” Eren asked Hange after they had cleared the neighborhood of all their treats.

“People are willing to give more treats when there’s only one kid. They get stingy when they see a group.” She huffed at him as though he should understand this and Erwin chuckled beside her.

“Well excuse me for not being aware of proper Halloween etiquette.” Eren said jokingly.

“Did you used to go trick or treating?” Connie asked as Levi pushed him toward the cars.

“Oh yeah. Me and Armin went every year and when we met the others in high school they would come with us too. We went until our senior year, ignoring when people gave us mean looks. I mean it was better than us getting into trouble or going to underage parties. Mom used to take me when I was little too. She’d dress up with me and we’d bake treats for school the night before. We used to get in trouble with dad-.” He stopped and cleared his throat. “Even back then he didn’t really have much tolerance for our silliness.” He said quietly. “Anyways, Armin and his gramps helped keep up the tradition even when I started getting shuffled around in foster care. I had to escape out a few homes so we could go.”

Erwin’s lips formed a thin line while Eren talked even though Eren kept his voice light. Hange quiet beside him. Sasha pulled on Eren’s sleeve and he turned his attention to her.

“Can we bake treats too? Even if it’s just for us?”

“Hmm. Sure. I’m not much of a baker though. They never turn out as good as when mom made em.” He tapped Levi’s hand behind him. “Maybe with Levi’s help they’ll come out edible though.”

“I will be on batter testing duties.” Hange volunteered with a smile.

“Not if you’re baking with me you’re not.” Levi tsked. Hange turned around and started walking backwards. “That’s so gross and unsanitary. Not to mention the risk of salmonella.”

“I’m not going to stick dirty hands in the batter silly. I’ll use a spatula. I can also wait until the bowls empty.” She crossed her arms while Erwin made sure she didn’t run into anything. “And the chances of getting salmonella are pretty slim you know.”

“Or just bake something without eggs.” Eren offered and Hange nodded happily, turning around finally when Erwin pulled on her arm. He patted Levi’s hand again. “Don’t argue with the pregnant woman.”

Even though he couldn’t see it, he was certain Levi’s eyes rolled. “She’s going to milk that for all its worth.” He said quietly.

“Yeah, well, she deserves it.” Eren said. He hadn’t told Levi what Hange had told him. He didn’t feel it was his place to say anything. Levi stopped the chair in front of Erwin’s vehicle. Eren didn’t bother getting the crutches out he just hopped and used Levi for balance while he got into the truck. Marco and Jean got into Marco’s car while and the kids jumped into the back of Hange’s vehicle while Erwin stowed the wheelchair before joining Eren.

“You doing ok?” Erwin asked as he started the car.

“Yeah, actually. I’m doing better than I usually am.” Eren said with a genuine smile. He liked to see the kids all worked up. It reminded him of simpler times. He knew each of them had been through a lot too and still were able to have fun and enjoy life. “The pains not too bad either today. Maybe sleeping all day was good for me.”

“I wouldn’t recommend it all the time, but it was probably good to recharge.” Erwin agreed following Hange’s car to Armin and the other’s apartment complex. He reached for Eren’s hand and gave it a short squeeze. Eren’s eyebrows raised at the simple gesture. “I’ve been worried about you. You’ve been taking your other medications at least right?”

“Fuck. No. I keep forgetting to ask Armin, and after a few days it slipped my mind that I should take them.” Erwin’s head turned toward him. “I couldn’t find them in the medicine cabinet. All the meds were gone so I figured, you know, that someone decided I should be on suicide watch.” He looked out the window. “I’ve been ok though other than some nightmares. Maybe I don’t need them anymore.”

“Eren. You’ve got to take them. Every time you go off of them you start to lose it, just slowly. You’ve got a lot of people in your life who want you to stay in their lives.” He found a parking spot near Hange. “We’ll talk later, but I’m getting those medications refilled. I understand you not wanting to take the pain pills, but I won’t let you stop the other meds.”

“Ok dad.” Eren said with a soft smile. He patted Erwin’s hand. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to fight you on this. You just better be nicer to the baby.”

Erwin ran his hand through his hair. “I’m excited and absolutely terrified.” He said honestly. He looked at his hands. “I’m worried I’m going to crush it by accident.”

“You’ll do just fine as a dad. You’ve been doing it for years already. Now will you quit with the Full House moment and help me get out of here so I can go harass my friends?”

Erwin laughed and walked over to help him out of the truck. Eren hopped out holding onto Erwin tightly, knowing the blonde wouldn’t let him fall. He took the crutches from Erwin, holding them while Levi brought the wheelchair. They were leaving the chair with Armin since he took it from work, even though Armin offered to let him keep it until he was better. Levi and Hange took the kids around the apartments to get more treats while Erwin and Eren went directly to Armin’s apartment.

“Jaegar!” Reiner said when Erwin knocked on the door. “Good to see you up. Sort of anyways.” He pulled waved to Erwin. “Hey teach. Looking good in the red, white and blue.” He winked at him. “Making me think of old high school daydreams.”

“Quite being weird perv and get out of the way.” Eren said hitting Reiner with the chair. Reiner laughed and held the door open for them. Eren left the wheelchair by the door and used his crutches, making his way though the familiar apartment.

“Hey guys.” Bert said from the couch, giving a small wave and wrapping his hand around Reiner’s waist when he sat down next to him. Eren sat down in the recliner and Erwin went to the loveseat. “How’d trick or treating go?”

“They all seemed to really like it.” Eren said smiling. “They’re raiding the apartment complex now. Although I think Hange was the most excited out of everyone.”

“Doesn’t really surprise me.” Annie said walking in while holding beers for Reiner and Bert. “You two want one?”

“Sure, if you’re offering.” Eren said and Erwin also accepted the offer. Annie nodded going back into the kitchen to collect their drinks. Armin joined them running a towel through his wet locks. He took a seat next to Bert and Reiner. Annie handed them their drinks and sat on Armin’s lap, putting her legs over Reiner and Bert.

Eren sipped his beer while he and his friends talked. Armin got up to get the door greeting the kids and the others. He gave them each bags of candy they’d made for them and ushered them into the now cramped living room. Hange joined Erwin on the loveseat while Jean and Marco took seats on the floor with the others making a small circle. They pulled out all their candy and dumped it into a large pile in the middle of their circle. Levi had to yell at Sasha who was starting to look like a chipmunk as she kept stuffing treats in her mouth.

“We’re still going to have dinner later Sash. You’re going to get sick.”

“No I’m not.” Sasha argued after swallowing. Levi rolled his eyes and the others chuckled. He stood awkwardly looking around until Eren pulled him toward him and had him sit on his lap.

“I wish I had her metabolism. I wouldn’t need to spend nearly as much time at the gym as I do already.” Annie said wistfully.

Armin smiled and ran his hand through her hair, it hanging loose rather than being up in its usual ponytail. “You like to go to the gym, don’t use your weight as an excuse.” He kissed her neck. “Besides, I’d love you no matter what size you were.”

“You’re adorable. I know you’re just saying that so you get lucky tonight. Thank you though.”

“What about me?” Reiner asked looking between Armin and Bert. “You’d all still love me if I turned into a fat cop right?”

Armin pushed him away and Annie nudged him with her foot. “No.” they both said in unison. “But being fat has nothing to do why we don’t love you.” Annie said sticking her tongue out at him. Reiner let out a shocked gasp while Bert promised to still love him too.

“Well Erwin better still love me when I can’t see my toes anymore.” Hange said turning her head to glare at Erwin. “Or else he’s going to be missing certain parts of his anatomy.”

Eren chuckled while Erwin blanched. He heard Jean and Marco snickering too. “Don’t castrate us when we make fun of you waddling like a duck. All those years of you calling people your ducklings.”

“Maybe I’ll get a duck costume while I can.” Hange said laughing. “Dammit. We could have done that as costumes.”

“Maybe next year Hange. You and the baby can dress up to match.” Armin offered.

“Fuck that the whole family has to get one.” Reiner said smiling. “I can’t wait to see teach in a giant duck suit.”

“Maybe we can get one of those blow up costumes.” Annie chimed in. All of Erwin’s former students turning to look at him.

“Remind me again why I still speak to my former students.” Erwin said hiding his head behind Hange while sighing.

“Gotta say, you’re far less intimidating now that I know you better.” Marco said as he searched for tootsie rolls in the pile. “I used to be terrified of you.” Connie and Sasha nodded their heads in agreement.

“Screw that. He’s a lot less menacing than Shadis.” Jean shivered. “I will never step out of line as long as that man is principle. Those eyes…” He shook his head again.

“No shit. Shadis is still principle?” Eren barked a laugh. Figured he’d quit after our group.”

“I hear he’s bald now. That’s probably our fault at least.” Annie said and the others laughed with her. She pointed to Eren. “You practically lived in his office senior year. If he didn’t have the hots for your mom back in the day, he probably would have expelled you.”

Eren shrugged. “It worked in my favor I took after mom more than dad. After the first few times, it was just fun to piss him off. I think he got tired of trying to discipline me.”

“He did just basically come out and say that I needed to deal with you. Since you only seemed to listen to me.”

“Jean, if you ever get called to the principles office, I’m begging you, please call me first. I want to see the look on his face when he sees me walk in.”

“Parent teacher conferences are coming up.” Erwin winked and Eren’s eyes lit up. He turned Levi so he could look at him better.

“Please tell me I can go too?” He begged, giving Levi the puppy dog face he knew usually made him cave.

“I’m almost worried you’d cause more problems than any good.” Levi said with a sigh. “But if they want you to come you can.” He gestured to the kids on the ground.

“No horse jokes for a month.” Jean said leaning back and looking at him upside down.

“Dammit, that’s going to be hard. You have a deal kiddo. It’ll be worth it to see Shadis again.”

“Jean, we need to get going if we’re going to the party.” Marco said checking his watch. “We can stay if you’d rather.”

“Nope, we’re going.” He hopped up and pulled Marco up after him. “Connie, I’m putting you in charge in making sure Sasha doesn’t eat our portion.”

“No guarantees. You know I’m a sucker when she wants something. I’ll try to hide it though.” Connie said giving his sibling a wave goodbye.

“Be careful.” Levi said as they were leaving. “Call if you need anything.”

“And if you’re drinking you’d better not try to drive home. Call. We’ll send someone to pick you up. I will beat your ass if I find out casts or no.” He glared at both of them. Marco cringed back and stepped behind Jean.

“Notice he didn’t care if you drank though.” Reiner said with a chuckle. “Seriously though, be responsible. Watch your cups and if anything’s fishy you can call any of us. We’ll not be cops for the night.”

“Unless you tell us to be.” Annie nodded. “We’ll come and rain down hell on the place if you ask too.”

“God, and I thought having just Levi was bad. I feel like I have like 8 parents now. We’ll be fine. It’s not that type of party and we both don’t touch any of that shit.”

“We’ll look out for one another.” Marco promised with a wave. “See you all later.”

“Damn that kids oblivious.” Bert said after they walked out. “At least Jean seems to have his head on his shoulders otherwise he’d definitely get taken advantage of. Reminds me of Thomas and Milieus.”

“Mutton chops? The guy Eren dated back in the day? Yeah he was a little dense.” Reiner agreed.

“You seriously dated someone with mutton chops?” Levi asked turning to Eren.

“It wasn’t as bad as Reiner makes it out to be. He had really long sideburns.” Eren shrugged. “I was young and stupid, and he showed an interest in me.”

“You dated him just because he showed an interest?” Annie asked turning toward him.

“Bad self esteem and all that. Hey I could have stayed with Mina.”

“Mina was cute at least.” Reiner said with a laugh while getting up. “I’m getting the yearbooks.”

“Yeesss.” Hange smiled with glee and clapped her hands. “I want to see what this mutton chops looks like too. I’ve only heard the name. I never actually met the kid.”

“I’ll order Chinese then. Looks like you guys are staying for a while now.” Annie said hopping up and going into the kitchen. “Levi are the kids picky?”

“No they’ll eat just about anything. As long as it’s not crawling off their plate.”

“Wouldn’t put it past Sash to try and eat something even then.” Eren muttered and Levi elbowed him in the ribs. “I’m joking, mostly.”

“Here you go. Bert’s yearbook and Armin’s photo albumn.”

Levi stood up when Eren tried to take the book from him, moving to sit on the end of the couch by Hange as she leaned in looking. Eren scowled. “I hate all of you.” He tried to bribe the kids to get the book for him, but they were still too interested in the candy around them to even really be paying attention to what was going on with the adults.

\--------

Levi pointed to one of the pictures. “That’s Eren?” He asked Hange who nodded. He brought the picture closer wishing he’d brought his glasses. Eren’s hair was cut much shorter, but it was still shaggy. It looked better now with the longer hair, less haphazard than it did back then. Levi could see the additional piercings on his face in one of the closer pictures. After the surgery, Eren had lost his last piercing Levi had noticed. Reiner knelt beside him so he could see too.

“This chick is Mina, the fake girlfriend.” Reiner said pointing out a girl with pigtails that had her arms around Eren and a dusty blonde kid. “That’s Milieus. He and Bert dated when they were younger.” He pointed to another picture. “That’s Thomas.”

Levi looked up at Eren while Hange pulled the scrapbook toward her. “You seem to have a thing for blondes.”

“Psh.” Eren said with a huff. The blondes in the room chuckled. Levi took album Reiner handed him next, Reiner pointing to a page with 2 young kids, one easily recognizable as Eren with the eyes. His hand thrown over the blondes shoulders as they both grinned happily.

“Oh my God, is that Armin?” Levi asked and Reiner laughed.

“Yep. Love the bowl cut right?”

“And that’s enough of memory lane.” Armin said trying to get up, Annie spun around in his lap and pinned him down.

“Shh, just let it happen darling.” Annie cooed. “You were cute.”

“Says something about Annie’s sanity, since she dated him even with the haircut.” Reiner whispered to Levi and he chuckled as he flipped the pages. There were lots of pictures of Armin and Eren. Eren seemed to be sporting lots of bruises in the older ones. Reiner pointed out another one with a brunette woman standing behind them, amber eyes shining in the picture while she placed her hand on both the boys shoulders. “That’s Carla. Eren’s mom.” Reiner told him softly. Levi could see the resemblance, Eren being a more masculine version of her. They had the same shade of hair, although hers seemed far more tame, held loosely in a side ponytail on her shoulder. It was the only picture of her in the book. There was an old man in a lot of the pictures too, one with all 3 of them fishing. “That’s Armin’s gramps. He’s still around and became like a grandfather to all of us, especially since most of us don’t get along with our own families.” Levi flipped to later pictures of when they were older, Armin still sporting the same awful haircut, but now more people were in the pictures. A homecoming picture of him and Annie. Graduation pictures with the group. Reiner in football gear jumping on Eren’s back while Annie was wearing a cheerleading outfit.

“Wouldn’t have pegged you as a cheerleader Annie.”

“Always good to be well rounded.” She responded shrugging her shoulders. “Helped me stay flexible too.”

Levi handed the book to Hange when he was done and Reiner went back to Bert. “Eren you really should do something like this.” Hange said smiling at some of the pictures.

“I can’t I burnt most of my pictures. Lost others in the different moves. You don’t get to keep much in the foster homes.” Eren responded. “Only have copies from what the others have now.”

“Hmm I’m sure I have some somewhere. I’ll probably find them when I start packing.” Hange turned to Levi. “We need to start getting you pictures with the kids too. It’s fun to go down memory lane sometimes.”

The doorbell rang and Annie got up to get the food. Armin took the opportunity to dash over and steal the books from her. “Sorry Hange. Memory lane is officially closed.”

“Too late.” Eren muttered as Levi came back to sit with him. “The damage is already done.”

They ate with the others before Hange and Erwin took them home. The kids passed out in the back seat after a busy day. Erwin helped him take them inside, yelling at Hange when she tried to lift one of them. She sat in a huff next to Eren. Rather than wake them, he decided to let their baths go for the night. Deciding he’d just change the bedding in the morning. He wiped the face paint off of Mikasa’s face, and got them out of their costumes changing them into their pajamas. They were only able to keep their eyes open for a little bit, moving like zombies when he softly asked them to do something. He said good night to Erwin and Hange and checked to see if he had any messages from Jean. He helped Eren get into the shower, the taller man insisting he had his balance down well enough to be left alone now. Levi let him be, grabbing pajamas for both of them as he heard the water running. He knew Eren struggled with the feeling of being a burden. Levi never thought that, not for even a moment, not even on Eren’s worst day. Still he liked to let Eren do what he could on his own rather than helicopter around him. It was why he’d agreed to let Eren stay home alone today.

He walked into the bathroom as Eren was turning off the water. He took a moment to take in the sight. Eren’s back was to him and Levi found the water droplets slipping down his back over the tattoos fascinating. Eren smirked at him over his shoulder as he wiped down quickly and wrapped the towel around himself. Levi stepped forward to help him get out. Not trusting Eren’s hopping method when the floor was slippery. Eren took a seat on the toilet and took the clothes from him and Levi stripped to take his shower while Eren got ready. He kept his back to Eren while he showered quickly. He wasn’t surprised when he didn’t hear Eren move to leave behind him. He shut the water off and wiped down before stepping out to take the clothes back from Eren that he’d brought in for him. Eren left him to change giving him a kiss before he left. After he was done, he went to lay down next to Eren on the couch. He knew Jean would be coming in late tonight, and he wanted to stay up until the teen made it home. He checked his phone again to make sure he didn’t miss anything.

“He’ll be fine. He’s a smart kid, and he would have called by now if something was up.” Eren reassured him. Levi sunk into him, taking the moment to relax after a hectic day. They talked while watching a superhero movie. Levi had yet to see the one they were watching, but didn’t find it as interesting as Eren did and he worried if he stopped talking, he’d fall asleep. Eren had already told him he could and he’d stay up since he had slept all day. He’d even promised to wake Levi when Jean made it back. Levi stayed up with him though turning so he was looking at Eren. Eren was carding his hands though his hair, watching it fall out of his hands before repeating the process.

“No matter how much you look at it, it won’t become blonde.” Levi joked.

“Ah, making fun of my bad choices hmm?”

“Just not sure where I fit in. The crush with bowl cut Armin, dating mutton chops and then the Reiner. How’d you go from them to me?”

“Eh. Figured it was time for a change. Obviously, the blondes weren’t working for me.” Eren said nuzzling into him and pulling him closer. “I stand by my choice. You’ve broken the blonde curse.” He joked nibbling on his neck. “I’m assuming you don’t have any pictures that I can tease you with in retaliation?”

“Sadly no. If there are some anywhere they’d be wherever the hell my uncle is at. Sorry, they’re not worth getting back from him.”

“That’s fine, he and your pictures can just stay far away then.” Eren said gripping him tighter. “Although Hange’s idea of making something for the kids might be nice. We all have pictures of them on our phones at least, but it would be good to get some copied. We could start putting pictures up at your place.”

“That would be nice.” Levi petted Heichou as the cat came up to join them and started purring on Eren’s shoulder. “We could even get some of those cheesy family photos where everyone wears the same colors.”

“I’d take some good ones for you.” Eren promised.

“How are you going to be in the pictures if you’re taking them?” Levi asked confused, which only got worse when Eren’s eyebrows furrowed.

“You’d want me in your family pictures?”

“Of course brat. You are family aren’t you?” He brushed his hand over the crease between Eren’s eyebrows. “We’ve both said we’re serious. Are you changing your mind?”

“Never. Just me being in the pictures is more permanent. When you leave me you’ll be stuck with either trying to photoshop me out or getting rid of the picture altogether.”

“When I leave you?” Levi asked. Eren closed his eyes and tried to hide his face. “That’s not going to happen.”

“Mmm. It will someday.” Eren said not making eye contact with him. “I’m not saying today or next week, but someday.”

“We may not have been together long, but we’ve been through a lot since we met.” Levi said tilting his head up. “If neither one of us have walked away yet, I’m certain nothing else will make us.”

“I’d rather not jinx fate. Fine if you want me in some photos I’ll be in them. Just don’t be surprised when I tell you so when the day finally comes.”

“And I’ll be the one who tells you so when it never does.” Levi agreed kissing him. It was a lazy kiss, but one that held meaning behind it. They gripped onto one another, but it never became heated. They pulled away when the back door opened. Levi stood up and went to the kitchen.

“You’re home earlier than I expected.”

“Yeah, it started to get a little out of hand, so we decided to bail before anything bad happened. Not really our scene anyways.”

“Why is your hand red?”

“Oh. I punched someone before we left. He was getting a little handsy with some freshman girl. Marco and I got her home.” Jean grabbed a bag of frozen vegetables out of the freezer. “I don’t think anything’s broken, just hurts.” He watched Levi while Levi looked him over. “I pass the inspection?”

“Surprisingly yes.” Levi smiled at him. “I’m proud of you.”

“Well thanks. Now I’m going to take a shower and go to bed.”

“Are you sure he’s just a teenager?” Eren whispered in Levi’s ear. “Maybe he’s lying about his age and he’s older than both of us.”

“Stop it.” Levi said smacking him while sitting up. “So, you’re going house hunting tomorrow right?”

“Yeah. I shouldn’t be long. I’m sure Erwin and Hange won’t want me moving too much.” He kissed Levi softly. “What about you?”

“I’m off. I planned on getting this place cleaned up, since we’ve raided it and all.” They heard a commotion in the bathroom and then Jean yelling. Levi jumped up to see what was going on.

“Ugh. Seriously Sash. I just got out of the shower.” Jean was kneeling next to her holding her hair back wearing just a towel. Levi saw the mess on the floor and on Jean’s chest. Sasha started to throw up into the toilet groaning.

Levi grabbed some towels out of the closet, rinsing one and tossing it to Jean while he cleaned up the mess on the floor.

“I’m sorry.” Sasha groaned

“We told you not to eat so much candy. How much did you sneak before we even got to the apartments?" Jean said chastising her but still being gentle with her, wiping the vomit that had gotten on her pajamas off after he cleaned himself up.

“It was nummy.” Sasha argued, laying down on the ground weakly.

“I’ll get her some new pajamas or something.” Jean said stepping around them while Levi pulled her up and held her close to him.

“I’m all gross Levi.”

“Shh. I’ll be ok for now.” Levi promised using a new washcloth to wipe her face better. He turned on the tub letting it fill with water when Sasha pulled away from him so she could throw up again. Jean put her clothes on the sink. Levi left them both grabbing the dirty towels off the floor. He’d scrub everything down once he was certain she wasn’t going to get sick anymore. He tossed the towels in the wash and started the kettle, making her tea that would help ease her stomach. Jean was turning off the water, now cleaned up and dressed petting Sasha’s hair.

“Go to sleep Jean. I got her.” Levi said stepping to the side so Jean could leave. He kneeled in front of Sasha and helped her undress while she took sips of the tea he’d handed her. She handed the cup back to him and he set it on the sink while Sasha got into the tub. He could tell how exhausted she was so he kept her up with his arm while he washed her.

“I’m sorry Levi.” She said again, tears starting to form.

“Shh. I’m not mad. Just eat in moderation.” She nodded at him. He scrubbed and rinsed her hair humming to her as he cleaned her up to calm her down. He emptied the tub and helped her up wrapping her in the large towel before helping her in her pajamas. He handed her the cup again and she drank some more then he had her brush her teeth while he brushed her hair out.

“Can I sleep with you?” Sasha asked leaning into him when she was done, sipping on the last of the tea.

“Of course. You’ve got to share with Eren too though.”

“Kay.” She was already closing her eyes again so he lifted her up and took her into Eren’s room.

“Everything ok?” Eren asked sitting up in the bed. He looked at the sleeping form

“Someone just has a tummy ache from all that candy.” He said quietly setting her down. “I’m going to clean up the bathroom and get changed. Go to sleep I’ll be a while.” He didn’t wait to listen to Eren’s protests. He pulled out the cleaning supplies and scrubbed down everything finally jumping in the shower for his second time that day. He wrapped his towel around him when he was done and threw his clothes in the hamper in Eren’s room. He looked through his bag and didn’t find anything to wear so just grabbed one of Eren’s shirts and his boxers. Eren had Sasha laying on top of him and she was drooling on his shoulder. He was asleep as well, which Levi was glad for. Even though he’d slept a portion of the day today, he hadn’t been sleeping well and it was a busy day for him today tomorrow was likely going to be long for him too. He moved Eren’s arm so he could get closer and he felt Eren tighten his grip around him.

One thing was for sure, Levi wasn’t going to forget this Halloween anytime soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On another note, I think I'll be ending this story soon. It seems to have lost its followers and I'm losing faith in my writing skills. So if you still like the story and want to see more, please comment and let me know what you think. If there's more you want to see let me know.


	29. Chapter 29

Eren could kiss the person who invented air casts. He was so happy to be able to move around again without chafing his damn arm pits or feeling like a turtle when he tried to get around. He still was slow, but he would take this over the crutches any day.

He still wasn’t allowed to drive, but with Levi and Jean both getting their permits, he was able to have one of them drive him around when he was free. Hange usually took him when they weren’t. Not that he went out much still, but he liked not feeling trapped and useless.

He was feeling better mentally too. Erwin had been true to his word and made sure he got back on his regular medications. Both Armin and Levi said they didn’t touch his medicine which he found a bit disturbing, but he let it go for now figuring maybe he had misplaced them before the accident or he’d been running lower than he remembered. Erwin had also persuaded him to go back to therapy once a week, just for the time being he said, until things with his dad were resolved better. Erwin had played the Hange card and Eren fell for it hook, line and sinker. Therapy was helping with the nightmares again though. Or else just time was doing its thing. The suicidal thoughts he’d been having since the accident slowly went away between the medicine and the therapy. Not that he’d told anyone about them, but he’d stared long and hard at a knife the one day until Hange came in. He didn’t stop himself for him, but because he didn’t want anyone around to be left with his mess. It was a terrible way to look at it, but it kept him alive even when he didn’t want to be, and now he was glad for it.

Even though he was doing better, things didn’t change much as far as people staying with him. He was left alone more often, and now he could go to Levi’s place rather than Levi and the kids always being forced to stay at his place. They’d started to basically split the week, 3 nights at Eren’s, 3 at Levi’s and either they stayed in separate places the last day or they just picked one randomly. Eren preferred to just be alone that day, not because he wanted to per se. That was one perk the accident had brought him was always being in Levi’s company. But he still didn’t want to feel like a burden and overwhelm Levi.

He swore he was going to need a new couch once he was better and Hange popped out the baby because while everyone was at work, Hange and he were plopped in front of his tv. He was going to need some serious exercise time once he was better. He’d at least been able to swap out the bad snacks for some better ones. He felt like there was an indent from them on his couch. He even asked Levi once if he saw it.

Today was an incredibly exciting day for Eren, one he had been waiting for quite some time. He was certainly more excited about it than anyone else was. Especially the teen beside him. What was today? Parent teacher conference day. And the conferences for the high school were at the same time as the middle and elementary schools. Since Levi had 3 children’s conferences to attend there, Eren had so graciously offered to go with Jean. Petra was also supposed to be going to the conferences for the youngers, so it made more sense for Eren to go regardless of his personal reasons for wanting to go. He was smiling broadly as he walked beside the angsty teen down the halls that had not changed since he graduated.

“Slow down Jean. I can’t go that fast yet.” Eren said trying to keep up.

“Then don’t come at all.” Jean muttered. “I feel like this is going to blow up in my face.”

“Hey a deal is a deal.” He reminded Jean. “I haven’t said a single horse joke since Halloween.” He wasn’t about to tell him he had actually looked some up for when the month was over. December was going to be the month of the horse jokes. This is what happens when Eren is actually feeling good and has all this spare time to kill. “Besides, I’ll be good while talking to your teacher.” Eren promised.

“You make a fool out of me we’re increasing the time.” Jean said and Eren nodded.

“Oh don’t you worry. Today the goal is not to make a fool out of you.” Eren agreed and Jean finally slowed his pace to match Eren’s. “Seriously kid, relax.” He stopped Jean and turned him so he was looking toward him. “All jokes aside, you good?”

“Yeah. I’m fine. I’m just nervous I guess. Remember, no one here knows, about me and Marco.”

“Got it. I promise not to out you.” Eren said making a zipping motion over his lips.

“Uh, lets get this over with.”

\--------

Meanwhile, Levi currently had his hands full as Mikasa dragged him along showing them the projects she had made for the conference day. The classes were displaying work that had been done in the year so far. Petra was following behind him, staying a respectful distance away but still close enough to see everything. They’d gone to the elementary first since he figured Sasha and Connie would take longer. Mikasa’s instructor had good things to say about her, but still worried that she didn’t interact well with people her own age. She agreed that being an introvert was okay, but she should try to get some friends. Sasha had overheard and said if Mikasa didn’t want any friends she’d share hers with her.

“I’m also concerned with the level of talking that she does. Children her age are much more energetic and talkative. Mikasa seems to struggle with talking.”

“She talks just fine when she’s around us.” Levi said. “She’s even reading past the first grade level now. We’ve all been working with her on that.

“I don’t think it’s a speech issue. I think she just needs to open up more.” Levi agreed to talk to Mikasa, but he didn’t see it doing much good. He’d been the same way growing up. He still was, only talking to a select few. Even now Mikasa was showing Sasha and Connie their things and she was talking to them animatedly. Yet the teacher didn’t seem to care about that.

“I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Like you said she’s improving and I haven’t seen any problems with the way she interacts socially. I am concerned that there’s something going on, but I think it’s more of a school issue.” Levi hoped his little cousin wasn’t getting bullied again. Mikasa’s principle didn’t have much to say about her which made him and Petra happy. As they walked to the middle school, Levi wondered how Jean and Eren were faring.

\--------

“Jaegar. What the hell are you doing in my school again.” Shadis asked. He no longer loomed over Eren like he had in high school. In fact Eren was now a few inches taller than him. It didn’t stop the bald man from giving him a death stare and Eren tried desperately to not laugh or smile when looking at the old man.

“I’m here for parent teacher conferences of course.” Eren said nonchalantly, losing his battle and letting a smile appear.

“I’m certain there are no other snot nosed Jaeger’s running around.”

“Nope, not one of mine biologically. Eren pulled Jean over while the kid tried to hide his face. “This kid is one of my pride and joys.”

“Kierstein. Care to explain?”

“Yeah, well he’s dating my guardian and since Levi is at the other schools with my siblings, Eren offered to come with me sir.”

“Did he now?”

“You don’t look happy to see me Shadis, after all that bonding time we had too.” He watched Shadis’ eye twitch. “Have to admit the bald look suits you better.”

“You and Braun aren’t together anymore then?”

“Nah, we’re still good friends though. Reiner says hi by the way.” His eye twitched again and Eren hid his smile behind his face. “He’s a cop now.”

“That’s a terrifying thought.” Shadis said “And you, Jaeger, what have you contributed to society?”

“I work in real estate. Pretty decent at it too. I also do some photography.”

“Smiths influence I’m sure.” He turned to Jean. “Kierstein, do you have to deal with this all the time?”

“Lately, yes sir.” Jean said looking at the ground. Eren didn’t blame him. He could tease Shadis now but he’d terrified him when he was a teen also.

“So how do you think our little Jean boy is doing Shadis?” Eren asked putting a hand on Jean’s shoulder which he immediately tried to shrug off.

“Significantly better than I had thought considering he has you around.” Jean smirked at that even though he still found the tiles on the floor quite interesting. “Luckily it appears that you haven’t had much influence on him. He’s not a trouble child, although he’s gotten in a few arguments with students in class, none of them led to physical fights. His teacher will be able to say more, but academically he’s doing fine.” He snapped his fingers and Jean immediately looked up. “Have you chosen your club yet?”

“I’m thinking track or swim sir. Figure I can use Eren here to help me with the swim team.”

“Hm. Yes that was one thing he was good at.” Shadis agreed. “Why don’t you go to your class Kierstein. I want to talk to your guardian for a moment.”

Jean looked up at Eren fearfully. “Go on Jean. I’ll be there in a second.” Eren promised. “He’s probably just going to bust my balls anyways.” Jean nodded but walked away with trepidation. Eren followed Shadis to his office and took a seat. “Ah, just like old times eh Shadis?”

“I really do not miss those old times.” Shadis said folding his hands on the table. “You really looking after that kid?”

“Like he said, I’m dating his guardian. So yeah, I’m watching out for him, and the others.”

“I see. I was worried about him when he came to the school. Then that mess with getting taken from his guardian and put in foster care. Reminded me too much of you. He seems to be doing much better now.”

“Losing them made Levi reevaluate some things. And now he’s got people to help him. Like me.” Eren grinned while Shadis scowled. “He’s a good kid though, better than I was. Because he has Levi.”

“So his home life is ok?”

“He’s fine. He’s safe. He takes on a lot more than he should at his age, but its because he wants to. He took on a job after arguing with his guardian about it. Finally he agreed as long as Jean’s school work didn’t slip, but it seems like it’s helped him. He’s even been able to branch out a bit.”

“The arguments I discussed earlier. Students make fun of him. He used to come in wearing the same clothes a lot, and even now he doesn’t have the best of things.”

Eren nodded remembering how cruel teenagers could be. He’d worn hand me downs and thrift store clothes most of his time in high school too. The one time Hange had gotten him nice clothes, they’d been stolen by one of his foster siblings. “Levi does what he can, but I wouldn’t expect to see any designer clothes on the kid anytime soon.”

“He seems to shrug it off for the most part which is good. I’ll make sure that it doesn’t escalate.”

“Wow, be careful Shadis. You might lose your bad ass reputation if people think you actually care about your students.” Eren said with a smile. While his goal had been to come and harass the man, he did appreciate what he’d done for him while he was in school. He wasn’t as much of an influence as Erwin had been that’s for sure, but there were a few times that he could have been expelled and Shadis let him slide by. He stood up and offered his uninjured hand to Shadis. “I should catch up to Jean.”

“Yes, now get out of my office and don’t come back.”

\---------

Levi and the kids walked the short distance to the middle school where Erwin greeted them as they walked in. Since he saw the kids and Levi in and out of school now, he sent them off to go talk to the instructors. They had a couple of them and most of them addressed that the two of them liked to be class clowns even if it wasn’t on purpose. It was worse when they were in a class together. Grade wise, they both had improved so much that they were at the top of the class. One instructor said that they wished they would get involved in a sport or club at the school. While it wasn’t required in middle school, it was highly encouraged, and it made things easier when they went to high school. Levi was finishing up and talking to Krista’s mother about another sleep over. Levi offered to host it this time, not forgetting his promise to Sasha to do so. He heard Mikasa call out and turned to see Eren and Jean walking over to find them. Eren picked Mikasa up easily and put her in the injured arm so he would be able to use his good one if he needed to. He was soon being pulled along by Connie to take a look at the things he made while Sasha chattered and dragged Jean along too. He finished up his conversation and came over to join the others where Sasha was showing him their science project they’d done as a class.

“How’d things go at the high school?” Petra asked Jean.

“Fine. I’m pretty sure Shadis hates me now.” Eren smiled.

“He doesn’t hate you. He had nice things to say about you. If anything this means you stay out of the principle’s office more because he won’t want to see me again. I wish I could have taken a pic to send to the others.” He looked over at Petra while shifting Mikasa in his arm. “The teachers all said he was doing good. He was reminded he needs to join a sport or club. Told Shadis he wanted to do track or swim.”

“Well that is what you all suggested.” Jean muttered. “I’m not smart enough for the clubs Armin used to be in.”

“We ready to go?” Eren asked looking to Levi. “Or did you want to stop over at the high school yourself?” Levi saw Jean shaking his head behind Eren.

“I think we’re good here.” Levi said seeing relief on Jean’s face.

“Good because I’m in the mood for ice cream how bout you guys?” The kids let out a loud chorus and Eren gestured for Levi to lead the way.

\-----------

Weeks passed and Eren was finally free of the casts. He still had to be careful, but he was able to move freely. He avoided sparring with Annie just yet, but had returned to the gym making use of the pool there. Levi came with him when he could, working with Annie still. Annie said he had gotten good and it was hard to impress the blonde. Hange and Erwin had chosen a house, so he was working on trying to close it. Now that he was able to get around easier, Armin and Annie were starting to look for houses too. Often times, he would take one or the other to look at a home since they rarely had off together. He’d started to do his open houses again too, hoping to get something sold before the holidays. He wasn’t surprised when at least one of his friends made an appearance at his open houses, and Levi came when he could to help him clean up. He’d tried to tell them all not to worry, but no one was satisfied while Grisha was still out.

Levi had wanted to host this years Thanksgiving since it was the first time he’d had a home to cook one in. He’d invited all of Eren’s friends and Farlan and Isabel. Petra said she may come for a quick inspection too. So Levi was on edge while trying to prepare for the large dinner that was a few days away.

Eren decided his boyfriend needed a break and had dared to take all the kids with him to go grocery shopping. Jean was taking advantage of being out of school for the day and was working a long shift at Sina’s. He had Mikasa holding onto his hand while Connie and Sasha took turns standing on the end and running to get the items on Levi’s list.

“Hey Eren, will you take us shopping soon?” Mikasa asked while looking up at him after he stopped to grab milk.

“We kind of are shopping Mika.” She rolled her eyes at him and he smiled seeing the resemblance between her and Levi.

“I mean gift shopping.” Mika explained. “For Christmas and Levi’s birthday.”

Eren stopped the cart again looking down at her. He’d asked Levi when his birthday was before but Levi had never told him. Saying it didn’t matter and he didn’t celebrate it. “When’s Levi’s birthday?”

“On Christmas.” Connie offered as he came back with one of the items and looked at the list for the next thing. “He doesn’t let us get anything. Probably because we’d have to steal it.” Levi had told him about Connie being a thief before Levi had taken him in. “But since you started giving us money for helping around your house we wanted to get him stuff this year.”

“And things for other people too.” Sasha agreed. Mikasa nodded also.

“Aww you guys don’t need to worry about anyone. That money is supposed to be for you. None of us expect you to get us anything.”

“But you’ll be getting stuff for us right?” Connie asked.

“Well yeah. I plan on spoiling the shit out of you. I know Hange does too.” He admitted. “But that’s different. We just want to make sure you have a good Christmas this year and take some of the burden off Levi.”

“Well, we want to do something nice too.” Sasha responded crossing her arms and pouting.

“How about we get through one holiday at a time huh? I’ll take you shopping for Levi after Thanksgiving weekend and we’ll come up with something for the others if you still insist on getting them presents.” This satisfied them and they went about collecting the rest of the things on the list. He racked his brain on what he could possibly get his boyfriend. Levi didn’t really have any hobbies. Was he supposed to get him cleaning supplies? Honestly he’d be more excited about that than a lot of other ideas Eren had. He could get him some clothes since he didn’t like to buy for himself. He’d already been fretting over Christmas, and now he’d been dropped with the birthday bombshell too. He’d have to brainstorm with Hange next time he saw her.

Eren had parked the cart next to the turkeys and was trying to decide on which one to get. He didn’t have a clue about turkeys and he didn’t want to get something too small. He looked at the list to make sure Levi didn’t specify and he finally decided on one of the mid sized ones. The larger ones looked too big for Levi’s stove.

“Eren can we get marshmallows too?” Sasha asked already holding the bag while carrying a bag of sweet potatoes. “Hange said they’re really good together.”

“Yeah. She’s right, but we don’t want these marshmallows. We want the smaller ones.” He steered the cart to the section while Connie dropped some cans in the cart. He pointed to the smaller marshmallows. “Those are the ones you want on top of sweet potatoes. They’re good in hot chocolate too.”

“Oooh.” Connie said looking up. “Can we get some hot chocolate?”

“Don’t see why not.” He looked at the list and what was in the cart. “We only need to pick a couple more things up.” He sent Connie and Sasha to get the rest of the items while he went into the drink aisle. “How bout we pick out some tea for Levi too?”

“Levi likes tea.” Mikasa agreed looking on the shelf with him. Eren picked up a cranberry tea, thinking it would go well with the thanksgiving dinner. He picked up packets of hot chocolate, getting the ones with extra marshmallows because he thought they were the best. He also went into the frozen section and picked up a fruit pie. Levi said he’d wanted to make things from scratch, and while he didn’t doubt his abilities, Eren didn’t want him overdoing it either. He knew this was one of Hange’s favorites and hoped she’d be feeling up having some of it. She was still having a difficult time with her pregnancy and spent a lot of days with Eren now that she had Moblit, Rico and Levi splitting her work. Moblit handled customers and was in charge of the new front desk staff. Rico handled shipments and staff schedules, and Levi was doing the inventory and bookkeeping. Erwin had done a bunch of research on foods that wouldn’t make her as sick and he’d stocked Eren and Levi’s fridges with things she could eat when she was visiting them. Eren discovered she had a craving for apples and made sure he always had some in his home along with other fresh fruits. Figuring it was better for her than binging on twizzlers and chocolate. He looked over the list and the items in the cart one more time before he was satisfied. Mikasa wasn’t tall enough to put things onto the belt so he put her into the cart and she handed things to the others. He smiled at the lady running the register as he pulled out his credit card to pay, ignoring the money Levi had gave him.

The wind was blowing and snow had started to fall while they were inside. He pushed the cart to the car and the kids helped him get the groceries put away. He noticed how they all shivered and Connie was blowing on his hands. He put the heat on high and instead of going straight home he pulled into a clothing store.

“What are we doing?” Connie asked as he looked out the window.

“Just picking up a few things. Come on.” He opened the door and Connie climbed out. Sasha got her door open and Eren helped Mikasa out of her seat. She shivered and he pulled his scarf off his neck and wrapped it around her smiling when all he saw were her eyes. He carried her inside and had the other two hold onto his hand on the slippery ground. Once they were inside he set Mikasa down and pointed to the rack.

“Ok. Go pick out hats, gloves and scarves. 2 pairs each. And get some for Jean and Levi.” He sent them off and he stayed nearby but looked on the shelves at the kitchen aprons. He picked up one for each of the kids and the one for him and Levi.

When they got home, the kids helped him get everything out of the car. Levi was in cleaning mode and warned everyone to take off their shoes since he’d just mopped. Eren put the bags by the door, telling the kids to take them to the kitchen while he went out to get the rest. He kissed Levi on the cheek as he passed and started to put the groceries away.

“How was it? They give you a hard time?”

“Never.” Eren said honestly rubbing Connie’s head as he helped him too. “They were good. Helped me a lot actually. Took less time getting everything with these to gophers.” He pointed to the turkey. “I didn’t have a clue which one to get, so I hope that’s good enough.”

“Your guess is as good as mine honestly.” Levi said looking at it. “I’ve never actually cooked a turkey before.”

“Well worst case scenario, the Chinese place is open Thanksgiving day.” Eren teased and Levi frowned. “I’m sure it will come out great love.”

“Maybe Iz has cooked one and can help me.” Levi said “Would any of the others know?”

“Reiner’s fried a turkey before. I wouldn’t really recommend that though. He almost got him and Bert burnt.”

“Seems to be a theme when Reiner is involved.”

“Yeah but they’re not going to be here this year. They’re going to Bert’s parents. Which means you will have two less large mouths to feed.”

“Are Annie and Armin still coming?”

“Yeah. Armin goes early to see gramps. He works a late shift at the hospital though so they may just eat and run. Don’t take it personally if they do. Armin gets double time working holidays.”

“I don’t blame him then.” Levi agreed. He eyed the money on the counter. “Why is all of my money back?”

“The grocery store was giving away free food today.” Eren said with a smile. “Happy Thanksgiving.” When Levi continued to scowl he shrugged. “Most of the people you’re trying to feed are because of me. So deal with it.” He helped put the rest of the stuff away. He held up the marshmallows. “You can thank me by making sweet potato casserole.”

“Find me a recipe.” He said while pointing to the cupboard. “And put them up high if you intend for them to last the next couple days. Sasha’s been known to climb onto the counters.”

“Doesn’t surprise me.” Eren chuckled lifting above his head. He twisted his wrist the wrong way when he put it up and hissed pulling his hand back down.

“You ok?” Levi asked looking at the wrist while Eren rolled it.

“Yeah, just still hurts. Much better since the cast is off though. I’ve never wanted to crawl out of my own skin so bad when it itched.” He looked at the tattoo that he could see once more. Luckily when he’d had his surgery, they hadn’t messed it up. It was a concern he had while the cast was on. He returned to the task at hand, finding the bag with the winter wear. “Connie. Which ones are which?” He asked the young man who’d popped out of the restroom. Connie sorted through them and put them in piles, taking his and Jean’s upstairs with him.

“What’s this?”

“well, it’s colder outside, and I haven’t seen them with glove or hats yet. Or you.” He flicked Levi’s nose. “So I got everyone some. Besides you can never have too many winter gloves. They always disappear, just like socks.” He grabbed the ones for Levi and Jean and took them to their respective rooms and put them in their drawers. He took the stairs slower than he used to not wanting to twist his ankle.

“I hate snow.” Levi said as he looked out the window. “It gets all slushy and gross.”

“Well yeah sure, once it’s been down for awhile. But doesn’t it look pretty now? Besides, its better than being all sweaty and sticky in the summer.”

“True I guess.” Levi admitted leaning back into Eren. “Just leads to more clean up most of the time. Looks like it’s going to keep coming down.”

“Looks to me like perfect play snow.” Eren said as he watched. “Hey kids, want to come make snow angels with me?”

“Snow angels?” Connie asked

“Is that a food?”

“No Sash. Not everything is food. You’ve really never made snow angels before? That’s it, we’re going out to play. Bundle up.” He kissed Levi when he was about to protest. “I will make sure they don’t bring anything into the house and I’ll clean it myself if they do.” The kids were putting on the snow gear he and Hange had gotten for them along with the boots Levi had bought. Finally the hat and gloves they’d just got today went on. Eren went to grab a hoodie and ushered them into the back yard.

“Ok, so this my kiddos, is how you make a snow angel.” Rather than falling straight back he slid on his chest and then flipped over spreading his arms wide several times until he was sure the impression was there then got up.

“Ooh me next.” Sasha landed backwards and Connie joined her laughing as they did it. Eren pulled Mikasa to the side and whispered to her as he started to make a snowball for her. She tossed it at Connie who sputtered and sat up while Mikasa giggled.

“Hey no fair!” Connie packed up some snow and Eren tossed another his way. Soon everyone was throwing snowballs, and somehow it ended up the three of them trying to hit Eren. He was digging himself a fort when he got pelted from behind and looked up to see Isabel laughing as she threw one from her side of the fence.

“Hey! That’s cheating. They can’t call for reinforcements!” Eren complained.

“All is fair in love and war Eren.” Isabel said. Squealing when Eren hit her in the face with one. Eventually Eren conceded as all three of the kids loomed over him. Laughing he helped them build a snowman until it was getting dark. He ordered them to get out of their outer layers by the back door and told them to clean up as he tossed their clothes into the wash. He looked at Levi hopefully as he stood there in his wet jeans, not wanting to go farther into the house but not wanting to walk around in his boxers either. Levi sighed and went upstairs to get him another pair of pants. He could hear the sound of running water and assumed he’d sent the kids in for baths. He tossed the pair of sweatpants at Eren and he changed quickly adding his jeans and the other clothes Levi had brought down with the others.

“Here. I made some of the hot chocolate you got today.” Levi said cringing back when his hands came against Eren’s skin. “Don’t touch me you’re freezing.”

“Oh but honey.” Eren sat the cup down and ran after Levi. “I just want hugs.”

“No. Not until you warm up.” Levi yelped when Eren tackled him onto the couch. Eren wrapped himself around him and put his cold hands under Levi’s shirt. “Stop it!” Levi laughed and Eren kissed him.

“I’ll just use you to warm me up.” Eren said softly. Soon instead of Levi trying to push him away, he was pulling him closer.

“Holy fuck.” Jean said and Eren fell onto the ground with a thump. Marco was behind him looking at the wall, his face red with embarrassment. “What the hell?”

“Hey Jean.” Eren said sitting back up. “How was work?”

“Don’t just how was work me. Aren’t the kids here?”

“Yeah, they’re upstairs changing. You missed out on snow fights. Everyone teamed up on me. Punks even got Isabel to throw some at me before Farlan came and took her back inside.”

“There’s hot chocolate in the kitchen if you want some.” Levi stated while Jean just looked at them dumbfounded.

“Ooh, hot chocolate.” Marco brushed past Jean and helped himself to two of the cups. “Extra marshmallows too. The best kind.” He handed a cup to Jean and took a seat on the floor leaning against one of the bean bags.

“So we’re just going to ignore that then. Ok.” Jean muttered while Levi got up to make more hot chocolates.

“Don’t make a big deal about it.” Marco said patting his boyfriend on the arm when he sat down. “Or else you know they’ll make your life worse if they walk in on us.”

“I really like you Marco. You know that?” Eren said with a laugh. “I’ll go check on the rug rats.” He went upstairs to see Sasha in the tub with Mikasa splashing one another. “Hey girls hurry up so Connie can get cleaned up too. Levi made hot chocolate too.” Sasha was quick to jump out and Eren tossed her towel at her expecting the reaction from her. He emptied the water and ushered Mikasa out for the girls to change in their room so Connie could get cleaned up.

“Can I just get a shower? I want hot chocolate too.”

“Yeah kiddo. Just get clean or else Levi won’t let you guys play outside again.” He made sure there were no wet clothes in any of the rooms and cleaned up any water droplets he found. Most of which were from the girls going to their room after their bath. They came out wearing pajamas running down the steps. He waited for Connie to get done, the kid taking the shortest shower possible and decided he better shower too. He could feel how wet his hair was. He took a quick shower and towel dried off, putting the sweats back on that Levi had brought him while taking the rest of his clothes along with the wet towels downstairs. He saw Levi was making dinner so he pulled the clothes that were in the dryer out, grabbed himself a t-shirt and brought the basket over to fold in the living room. The kids had found something to watch on tv and Marco and Jean were both on the couch, Jean looking at it skeptically as though the couch had offended him.

“Relax Jean. We’ve never done it on the couch.” Eren muttered, making sure the others didn’t hear him.

“Yeah well, looks like you were about to change that before we came in.” Jean replied back.

“Well, next time make more noise when you come in.” Eren said as he folded the clothes.

“You’re such a dick.” Jean complained. Eren just stuck his tongue out at him. Levi leaned over and gave him his forgotten cup that had started the whole mess.

“So, what’s the movie tonight kids?” 

“Thanks love.” Eren said leaning back so he could look at Levi. He rolled his eyes and went back into the kitchen.


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanksgiving dinner. The flu hits the Ackerman household.

Now Levi understood why people hated holidays. As someone who didn’t really participate in them before, he had no idea what he was getting into. At least he had everyone’s help. Eren had come over early that morning, sat the kids in front of the tv to watch the Thanksgiving parade because it ‘was tradition’, and came into the kitchen to help Levi, wearing a frilly green apron that made him laugh. He handed Levi one as well, and once the parade was over, all the kids joined them in the crowded kitchen, helping in some way. Eren was with Sasha and Connie having them help him clean the potatoes. He kept stealing the bag of marshmallows Sasha kept ending up with. Jean was next to Mikasa, helping her roll out the pie crust while also following Levi’s instructions so he didn’t mess up the stuffing. Levi was everywhere, making sure everyone was doing things properly, while also making sure that food was getting made in the correct order.

He started to panic when the turkey was taking longer than it should, which meant that the other dishes couldn’t go in on time. Eren and Jean grabbed what they could and took it over to Isabel and Farlan’s to cook it in their oven, while Isabel came over to see what the problem with the turkey was. They were both looking into the stove confused.

“I think the oven broke Levi.” Isabel said turning some of the knobs and not getting anything. “You’ll have to call the landlord and get it fixed.”

“But the turkey.” Levi said in defeat.

“Well, if that’s the only thing we don’t have I’m sure it will be ok.” Isabel patted him on the back. “We’ll get what we can done.” Not much longer after, Annie and Armin had arrived, and were in the back yard with Eren.

“Oooh. I never saw someone fry it.” Isabel said wide eyed as she watched with him and saw Eren putting some stuff together.

“Do I need to remind you about last time?” Annie asked as Eren came in and took the turkey out.

“I’m not as stupid, nor as drunk as Reiner.” Eren said taking the pan with him. “And this was the quickest solution I could come up with. Besides, Armin’s here if this goes bad.”

“I suppose it’s a good thing Bert didn’t get rid of it.” Armin noted holding the door open for him.

Hange and Erwin arrived early also, Erwin taking a look at the stove while Hange tried to help before getting sick. Levi stuck her in the living room with Mikasa, handing her an apple. He told Mikasa to stop her from moving if Hange tried. Mikasa’s face became firm and determined. Nodding her head and taking a seat next to Hange. Isabel kept Connie and Sasha busy so they didn’t try to join Eren outside. Annie had only come in a few times while the turkey cooked, to grab something Eren needed or to grab drinks for them. Jean and Farlan returned with the food that was cooked and Levi set the tables. Marco arrived shortly before dinner was starting, after having leaving his own family meal. Levi had told Jean to go, but the teen had refused, saying he felt bad not being around as much. He helped with any last minute things Levi needed to do and shortly after Eren was coming in with the now cooked turkey. Everyone took their seats, the teens and kids sitting at one of the card tables Eren had brought over and the adults sat at Levi’s table. Hange however, took one look at the food smiled sadly and went to go lay back down on the couch.

“Don’t take it personally Levi. The food looks delicious.” Erwin said, looking toward the living room with concern.

“No, I understand.” Levi said. He spoke louder so Hange could hear him. “I’ll save you a plate in case you want some later.” A hand waved at him over the couch and he prepared her food first, putting it in the kitchen and placing saran wrap over it. Dinner went smoothly after that, and Levi found himself enjoying it. Other than the party at Eren’s house, he’d never really been around so many people for a meal. To look around and see his new friends laughing and getting along, and to feel Eren’s arm laying gently over his shoulders while the other man ate and talked, it was something he wouldn’t forget anytime soon.

Over at the other table, an argument was starting. Levi looked over to see Connie pick up a large helping of mashed potatoes and fling it at Sasha. Most of it missed her, some hitting Marco and the rest falling on the floor. Sasha cried out as though someone had died, crying over the spilled potatoes while Jean picked Connie up by his shirt and was yelling at him. Eren pulled Jean away while Levi scolded Connie. Marco was laughing, taking the napkin Mikasa had handed him quietly and cleaning his face. Levi ordered Connie to clean up the mess, pulling Sasha up as he swore she was about ready to eat the food on the floor. Levi apologized for Connie and the young boy did the same, but Marco just laughed and smiled, saying no harm was done.

After dinner, Levi and Eren worked on cleanup while the rest found places in the living room. Farlan and Isabel had gone back to their home to pick up the desserts. Hange’s interest had piqued when she saw the pies coming in and stole a whole pumpkin pie for herself. Growling at Erwin when he tried to take it from her.

“Good thing we made extra.” Isabel said laughing as she helped set up the table for dessert.

“Yeah. Hange is obsessed with her pumpkin pie.” Eren said going into the fridge and pulling out a can of whipped cream. “Hange. You want some?”

“Gimme.” Hange said lunging for the can still holding her pie protectively. She put an impressive amount on her pie, leaving the can beside her as she ate.

“Don’t encourage her Eren.” Erwin muttered.

“She’s eating isn’t she? Let her have it. It’s not going to hurt much. She’s been losing weight since the pregnancy anyways.” Eren said leaning back onto the counter as he helped wipe down the dishes Levi cleaned so they would have enough plates for dessert. “And, pregnancy or no, she’d probably still eat a whole damn pie.” Once the plates were clean Levi called for everyone to come back and grab their desserts. Marco sat by Jean but declined any more food rubbing his stomach and leaning into Jean complaining about eating too much and asking if Jean would still love him if he was fat. Levi smiled at seeing Jean blush and sputter finally telling him he’d love him no matter what.

“Aww the awkward teens are in the ‘I love you stage now.’ Annie said softly also catching the moment. Armin laughed when she nudged him. “Remember when we were like that?”

“I’m pretty sure I was the only awkward one. Especially when I first asked you out and your response was ‘aren’t you gay?” Eren laughed as Levi took a seat next to him.

“Well it was a valid question. You and Jaegar were bound at the hip. You’d practically have separation anxiety if he was too far away.”

“That’s only because I’d get beat up if he wasn’t around!” Armin said his voice squeaking.

“That is true. I had to save our favorite blonde from a few lockers.” Eren said taking a bite of some pie and groaning happily.

“So you all have been friends since you were younger?” Isabel asked pointing her fork at the three of them. Armin gave her some backstory, all of which Levi had heard by now. He started to pick up empty plates, Jean collecting the ones from his table. Slowly people made it to the living room again. Annie laying on the floor complaining of a stomach ache. He head in Armin’s lap as he sat on the floor by the couch.

“I’d say your first Thanksgiving was a hit, seeing as everyones’ starting to go into food comas.” Eren said kissing his cheek as he brought in some more plates. Hange had fallen asleep next to her pie plate, now completely empty. The living room was also pretty quiet. Levi waved away anyone who offered to help him clean, telling them to go enjoy themselves, leaving only Eren to stay with him. Levi looked over to the living smiling to himself. This is what having a family was supposed to be like.

\----------

Levi felt like death. He couldn’t recall a time he had ever felt this bad before. Even this he expected only to be a 24 hour bug, but instead it seemed to be getting worse. What had started out as a small cough a day ago quickly turned into whatever the hell this was. His whole body ached and tremored against his will. He was freezing, currently wearing a long sleeve shirt and hoodie and still felt cold. He was exhausted beyond belief. This was far worse than any of the long nights with Mikasa’s nightmares.

The morning hadn’t been that bad. He had managed to get the kids up and get them to school, noticing Sasha and Connie both were sniffling and he had to constantly remind them to not use their hands if their nose was running. He had gone to work, forgetting his umbrella at home when a light snowfall had started on his way there. Rico had yelled at him a few times when he forgot to stock a room or didn’t clean well enough (him not clean enough?). By the end of his shift he was dragging his feet and shivering. He cursed the weather as he walked to get the kids from school. He had taken longer than usual to get there. Jean was already walking with the others back when they saw Levi. Jean almost ended up walking past him and Levi hadn’t even noticed them at all until Mikasa reached out her hand to him. Sasha and Connie were also not looking good, Sasha’s cheeks were bright red, and Connie looked as lethargic as Levi felt.

Jean was working that night so he was at home with everyone. He had asked Levi if he wanted him to call off, a look of concern on his face while he looked at the three of them. Levi had shook his head and told him to go. He would be able to handle things on his own. Jean had hurried to get dressed promising to be home as soon as his shift was over. Levi decided to make soup for dinner. Originally he planned on make fresh soup but after grabbing all the wrong ingredients twice he felt it was safer for everyone just to have canned soup. He did manage to make grilled cheese with most of them not too burnt. It didn’t really matter anyways since Mikasa was the only one who ate. Sasha saw the food on the table and ran to the restroom. He could hear her throwing up and Connie wouldn’t lift his head up from the table. He sent them both to bed and he laid cold rags on each of their heads. They didn’t seem warm when he put his hand on their heads, but their faces were flushed. He sent Jean a quick text message asking the teen to pick up children medicine. His own vision was hazy and he didn’t realize he missed a step until he was on the floor.

\----------

Levi woke up with his head pounding and felt a cold compress on his forehead. He was in his bed, sheets wrapped tightly around him. He didn’t remember at all how he got here. He looked down and saw he was in his pajamas which he hadn’t recalled getting in either. On his nightstand was a glass of ice water which he drank almost in one gulp.

“Ah one of the patients is awake at least.” Eren said walking into the room carrying a cup of tea and some medicine with him.

“When did you get here?” Levi asked. Eren had said he had an open house today and was going to be showing some homes after.

“About an hour ago when Mika called me.” Levi looked over at him in confusion. “She was panicking and called the first number on your phone. None of you were waking up. I found you at the bottom of the steps and was worried you’d fallen down them. She had me really worried something bad had happened.” Eren knelt by the bed and brushed away some hair from his face. Taking away the compress on his forehead, he replaced it with another. “Took me awhile to calm her down and realize none of you were going to die.” He pushed Levi back down with his hand when he tried to sit up. “She’s alright now. She’s downstairs. I moved Connie into her bed. Figured keep the sickness in one room so hopefully Jean and Mika don’t get it too.”

Levi tried to recall what he remembered last. The last thing that he could easily remember was Sasha and Connie being sick and helping them to bed. Eren felt his head and neck frowning before picking up a thermometer off the nightstand, ordering Levi to open his mouth and settling it beneath his tongue. Levi waited until the beeping stopped and Eren took it back.

“Yeah, I thought so. You’ve got a pretty high fever still love.” He reached over for the medicine he brought in. “Here drink this.” He helped Levi sit up enough that he could drink it without choking and set him back down, putting the ice pack on his forehead. “I already called Hange and let her know. She said take off as much time as you need. She won’t be over until after all of you are better though. Mine and Erwin’s orders. I don’t want anything to mess up her pregnancy.”

“Yeah. I don’t want her getting sick on top of everything else.” Levi agreed, shifting under the covers. I’m still so cold.”

“Probably your body trying to burn out the fever. I’ll get you another blanket.” Eren left and came back shortly after tossing the blanket on top and tucking it in tightly around him. “I’m going to check on the other patients. Try to get some more sleep love.”

\---------

Eren moved from room to room, changing out ice packs and wet towels. Sasha and Connie were now fighting to get to the bathroom first, and he’d already had to clean up a couple messes when one of them didn’t make it. He felt horrible listening to them as they threw up and seeing how deflated and exhausted they appeared afterwards. Jean had come home and brought the things he and Levi had asked for including the antiemetic medication.

“Do you want me to help with anything?” Jean asked worriedly as he watched Sasha walking like a zombie back to her room after another trip to the bathroom.

“Just keep Mikasa away. I don’t want you two getting sick too.”

“What about you?”

“I don’t usually get sick, and if I do, it’s not as big of a deal. My dad may have been an asshole, but at least I picked up a few good things from watching him. I also have Armin on standby if need be.” He patted Jean on the shoulder. “Just expect to pick up their homework for the next couple days.” He walked in to give the medicine to Sasha and Connie, Sasha trying to fight him, while Connie was just so tired he took it without even thinking. He covered them up, but left the doors open to their room and the bathroom in case they needed a quick escape. Jean was downstairs, having Mikasa read to him to try and distract her. She still believed they were all going to die and Eren felt bad she’d been the one to find Levi unconscious. Eventually Mikasa finally tired herself out and Jean took her to sleep in his bedroom. Eren stayed up throughout the night making sure no one’s fevers got too hot, and keeping some sort of liquids in their bodies.

\---------

Levi kept having feverish nightmares of his time working in the brothel, seeing the people who had beat and abused him, seeing Elise’s face. He hadn’t thought much of them since the brothel got raided yet here they were in vivid color in his mind. He felt restricted and was burning up. He screamed when he couldn’t move and opened his eyes to realize it was all the blankets that were on them. Eren came running in, looking exhausted and panicked.

“I’m sorry. It was just a dream.” Levi said trying to kick off some of the blankets. Now he was so hot and sweaty and gross. Eren came over to help him and pulled the blankets that Levi was struggling with off so easily. “I need a shower, or a bath or something. I feel disgusting.”

“Ok. Just sit here a minute love. I’ll get you a bath running.” Levi nodded, finding it hard to even sit up on his own. His head was pounding still. He found a glass of water on the nightstand and drank it while he waited for Eren to come back. Eren walked in and helped Levi to the bathroom, also helping to remove his clothes when Levi struggled with the buttons on his shirt. Levi sighed with relief as he lied in the water. Eren hadn’t made it as warm as it usually would be, which felt good on his skin. He rested his head on the back of the tub while Eren moved around in the small room. He grabbed Levi’s body wash and scrubbed him down, Levi really being of no help to him other than following the simple commands Eren gave him.

Eren didn’t ask him what he was screaming about, just as he had stopped asking what Eren’s nightmares were. They both had scars, mentally and physically, from their traumas. Eren scrubbed his hair with care and rinsed down his body when he was done. For awhile, Levi just stayed in the water, Eren sitting on the outside playing with the water. But as the water level lowered and he was exposed to the air he shivered. Eren helped him up and wrapped him up tightly in a towel taking him back to the bedroom and finding him a pair of sweatpants and a tshirt. He left him after Levi was changed, returning with some more medicine and a fresh glass of water. He asked Levi if he wanted him to change the sheets but Levi shook his head. He wasn’t fond of going back into the sweaty sheets, but also knew this wasn’t over yet. Eren left the topmost layer off, but set it beside Levi in case he wanted it later.

“How long have you been awake?” Eren asked looking over at Eren who was sitting on the floor against the nightstand.

“All night. Going back and forth between your rooms.” He brushed the hair out of Levi’s face. “Don’t you worry about me love. I can handle a couple all nighters. You just focus on getting better.”

“Mmm. I’m sorry, I’m so tired.”

“It’s ok. Sleep it off. I’ll be here when you get up.”

\---------

The next morning, Eren woke Jean and Mikasa up for school, checking both of them for any signs or symptoms that they got it too. Erwin was coming over to pick them up so they didn’t have to walk. Erwin arrived with the popsicles and Gatorade he’d asked him to get for his patients. He also brought some Pedialyte for the kids telling him he had to threaten Hange not to come.

“Don’t worry. If she comes I won’t let her in.” Eren promised.

“If you think of anything else you need call or text. We’ll pick it up before I bring them home.”

“Thanks Erwin.” He gave Mikasa a hug and a kiss. “I’ll take good care of them for you.”

“Give Levi kisses for me.”

“Sure I’ll give him lots.” He wrapped his scarf around her tighter, realizing she’d found comfort in the simple object. He kissed her forehead and sent her off. He twirled his phone in his hands as he watched the kids sleep. Armin had told him the best thing would be to get a doctor to prescribe flu medication so it shortened the time they would be sick. He knew Levi would fight him to go himself, and he didn’t want to take the kids anywhere when they were like this. Dealing with his internal dilemma he flipped through his contacts, finding the one he wanted. He knew this was probably a bad idea, but this was the best option he could come up with. He finally hit the call button and waited.

“Hello little brother. I’m surprised to hear from you.” Zeke said. Eren heard shuffling in the background. “What do I owe the pleasure?”

“I’m assuming you’re working?”

“No not yet. I don’t open the office until late Tuesdays.”

“Perfect. Would you be willing to do a house call for me?”

“You want _me_ to do _you_ a favor?” Zeke chuckled and Eren was about to hang up and say fuck it when he sighed. “What’s the problem? You don’t sound like you’re dying.”

“My boyfriends kids are sick, and so is he. They’ve been bad. If you can even just put in a script for that flu stuff that would be all I need.”

“I didn’t know you were dating anyone with kids. Last I knew you were dating the blonde brute.”

“Zeke.”

“Ok. Ok. I’ll stop by. With kids, I’m a little leery just prescribing the medication. Send me the address and I’ll be over.” He hung up and Eren text him the address. Zeke sent back a 20 minute eta.

Zeke arrived on schedule, knocking on the door softly. Eren opened the door and tried not to look bothered seeing his older brother. Zeke had taken after their father, albeit a blonde version after inheriting his mother’s hair color. The rest was Grisha. He even wore glasses of a similar style to him. His beard at least was different, setting him apart from the older Jaegar.

“Hey little brother.” Zeke said looking him over just as Eren was him. “You’re looking better than the last time I saw you. Still clean?”

“Yes. Now shut up and get in here. And take off your shoes.”

“So commanding.” Zeke said with a smile, but did as he was told. He carried a small bag with him that he brought upstairs as Eren led him to the kids. “Did you give up the house?”

“No I still have it.” Eren said. “Levi and I don’t live together. We only started dating a few months ago.” It seemed like years to Eren after what he and Levi had been through in the short time. He saw Zeke looking around taking it all in as Eren opened the door to the girls room.

Sasha had given up sleeping on the top bunk after almost falling down in her rush to get to the bathroom. Currently she was sleeping next to Connie, her hand reaching out for his subconsciously. Eren sat down on the bed and tried to wake them. Connie opened his eyes tiredly and Eren explained a doctor was there to see him. Zeke, for what it was worth, smiled kindly at him and treated him like he would his patients. Connie did as Zeke asked and he pulled out his stethoscope and listen to his heart, lungs, and stomach when Eren told him they’d been throwing up all night. Zeke let Connie lay back down and started the process again for Sasha who shivered when his stethoscope touched her. Eren let them know he had popsicles for them when they got hungry. He knew Sasha must be sick when she refused any type of food.

Zeke asked Eren questions about their fever temperatures and how they’d been thoughout the night. Eren handed him the sheet of paper that he’d been using to keep track of things since he’d arrived getting a raised eyebrow from his brother.

“What I’m not a complete idiot.” Eren said.

“I didn’t say you were. I’m just impressed.” Zeke said. He brushed Sasha’s hair away. “I’d say they’re ok for now. No need to bring them to the hospital yet. But you’ll need to get some fluids in them or else they’ll get dehydration.”

“I had Erwin bring some popsicles and Gatorade. He also thought to get some Pedialyte.”

“Good job little brother. They don’t have to drink much at a time, whatever they can do. The electrolytes will help even if they can’t keep anything down. I’d give them broth for now, maybe some oatmeal or jello if they ask for food. Stay away from anything red though. With them throwing up so much you want to be able to see if they’re starting to bleed.”

Eren nodded. So far it was like he thought. He brought Zeke across the hall to Levi, his pale skin almost translucent. His eyes fluttered open when Eren took a seat on the bed.

“Hey, a doctor’s here. He’s going to check you over. Make sure there’s nothing more serious going on.” Zeke was already looking at the paper he had for Levi as well. He also was looking at Levi curiously.

“Can you sit up for a minute Levi? I want to listen to your lungs.” Zeke asked as Eren stepped away. Levi nodded and sat up, following the short instructions Zeke had asked of him.

“Have you been vomiting as well?” Zeke asked.

“No. I’ve mostly just been asleep. My head is always killing me and I feel clogged up.”

“Mmhmm.” Zeke said pulling another instrument out and using it to look at Levi’s throat. “Well, I’d say you have the more traditional flu compounded with a sinus infection. I’ll prescribe you something for both. In the meantime, sleep is your friend, but make sure you move around a little bit. Don’t want it changing to pneumonia.”

“Like how much moving?” Eren asked

“Nothing too crazy. Just going downstairs to eat would do the trick. I’d say the same thing for the kids, but you said they’ve been sprinting back and forth to the bathroom, so that’s enough for now. As you feel better do more, but don’t overexert yourself. Doing too much too fast will just make you sick again.” Levi thanked him and Eren led his brother back downstairs. Zeke used the counter to write out some prescriptions verifying everyone’s date of births. Eren was glad the kids had told them a few weeks ago what Levi’s birthday was.

“You’ve done good with them so far little brother. Looks like you paid attention at some point before dad went off the rails.”

“Have-have you talked to him?” Eren asked. And Zeke sighed with a nod.

“Yeah. Moms being stupid and decided to start dating him again. I told her it was a terrible idea, but she’s never gotten over him. She’s saying you made everything up just to get dad thrown in jail.”

“Tch I have the scars to prove it.” Eren muttered and Zeke nodded again.

“I know. I saw him a little bit after your little scuffle with him when he got out. He was boasting about putting you back in your place. But from the looks of it, he didn’t do a very good job. You look the same as always.” He flicked Eren’s hair which hung loose. “Starting to look less like Carla in your old age though.”

“Well, you weren’t around after it happened. You won’t say anything, about coming here will you?” Eren asked.

“No. I wouldn’t involve more kids in his sociopathic ways. So, this will be our little secret.” He waved away the money Eren tried to hand him. “This one’s on me little brother. But I need to get going if I plan to open my office on time. Let me know if anything changes.”

“Thank you Zeke.” Eren said honestly. He’d expected his brother to give him a harder time than this.

“No problem little brother. I’ll uh, I’ll try to keep you posted. If I hear anything about dad. Now go play doctor or nurse or whatever you want to play.”

After that, his morning was rather quiet, aside from the groaning of the sick people. He managed to get them to come downstairs and try to eat something. He’d given the kids some Pedialyte and some broth. While Levi chewed on a popsicle, looking like he was going to fall asleep from that small act. He gave them another round of medicine when they were allowed it, helping them get back into their beds.

When Jean and Mikasa came home, he offered to take Mika with him to the store and pick up the prescriptions. She still looked frightened and was more withdrawn than usual which concerned Eren. Se gripped onto his hand tightly as he walked around the store while they waited for the prescriptions to be filled. He grabbed a couple types of Jello’s asking Mikasa to help him make them when they got home. He also picked up a small container of sherbert. After the prescriptions were done, he stopped to pick up takeout for him Mika, and Jean. Jean was heating up some broth when Eren came home. He had the two of them start the Jello while he went upstairs to give the others their new prescriptions. His efforts to keep Jean and Mikasa from getting sick were unfruitful, as he heard Jean throwing up his dinner later into the night. Mikasa’s temperature had also jumped rapidly. He’d given them medication and text his brother letting him know about the other two. He told them to bring them to his office, that he was finishing up for the day. Carrying a weak Mikasa in his arms, he walked into the office he’d hoped to never see again.

Somehow, Zeke had managed to get his father’s old office even though he hadn’t started practicing until years after his father had been put away. Zeke had done some updates to the place, but it still looked and smelled enough like he remembered it, back when his father would bring him here while he was working. It looked as though the receptionist was already gone. Zeke opened the door and looked at the two children before ushering them back.

“Just how many children does this boyfriend of yours have?” Zeke asked idly as they walked back to one of the rooms.

“We’re the last of them.” Jean said softly. “He got us off the streets when we were younger.”

“Ah, well that makes more sense I suppose.” Zeke said. He opened one of the doors for Jean. “I’ll be in to look you over shortly. If you feel sick, there’s a bathroom right through that door.” Jean nodded and Zeke took Eren to the room adjacent with Mikasa. Zeke explained to Mikasa what he was going to do, while she held onto Eren tightly. He took her temperature frowning at the high number, then he listened to her heart and lungs. “She hasn’t thrown up yet?”

“No not yet, but I’m just waiting for it to start. I was more worried about the fever and how quickly it seemed to come on.”

“With younger kids, it’s not that uncommon. If it goes any higher though take her to the hospital.” He wrote a new script for her. “She’s got the same last name as the boyfriend. Is she biologically his or did she just take the name?”

“She’s a cousin.” Eren said not giving any more information than that. Mikasa shivered and he rubbed her back soothingly. Zeke watched them curiously for a moment before walking over to Jean’s room. He returned with the teenager in tow, giving Eren another prescription. “Same as before. Anything changes let me know. I don’t have any more later days this week.”

“Thanks again.” Eren said helping Mikasa back into her jacket and wrapping the scarf around her. Jean followed sluggishly, looking paler than usual. Laying his head back on the headrest once he was in the car. This time, Eren dropped off the prescriptions in the drive through and they sat in the car while they waited.

“So, couldn’t help but notice his jacket said Jaegar.” Jean said quietly.

“You’re sick as a dog and you still manage to catch the little details?” Eren asked with a sigh.

“He doesn’t look much like you, but I’m assuming he’s some relation?” Jean prodded looking over at Eren with concern.

“He’s my older half brother. He decided to be a doctor like dad even after everything.” Eren said gripping the steering wheel tightly.

“Was he around when…” Jean trailed off and Eren shook his head.

“No, he’s from my dad’s previous marriage. Dina didn’t let him have anything to do with Mom and I, but dad still saw him from time to time. And no, as far as I know he never hurt my brother. Probably because I look like mom, while Zeke took after him.”

“And you two get along?”

“We tolerate one another. I was desperate, so I called him for the others.” He looked back and saw Mikasa sleeping. He turned back to Jean and saw the teen seemed rather shocked. “What?”

“Nothing I guess, I know you cared about us, but I didn’t really expect you to care that much.”

“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you guys.” He looked at his watch, and drove back through the line to pick up their medicine. Halfway home, Jean ordered him to stop and jumped out of his car before throwing up in the brush by the road. It was going to be another long night.

\---------

Levi woke feeling mostly human the next morning. His head still throbbed but he felt like he could breathe again. He looked over to see Eren sleeping on the floor, his back pressed against the nightstand and his phone in his hand. The phone started to go off, Eren’s eyes opening rapidly and he reached behind him not noticing Levi was awake yet as he grabbed what he wanted and left the room. Levi stood up cautiously, still feeling weak, following after his boyfriend curiously. Jean and Connie’s door was open and Eren was kneeling in front of Mikasa, holding her head up as she took some medicine. He saw Jean sitting up drinking some Gatorade and an empty medicine cup on his dresser. Eren laid Mikasa back down bundling her back up again in Connie’s bed and took the empty cup from Jean and placing the trash closer to the teens bed. He startled when he saw Levi in the doorway and left the room, leaving the door slightly ajar.

“Good morning. How are you feeling.” Eren asked, putting his hand to Levi’s forehead.

“Better. Still a little sick, but manageable again.” He looked at Eren’s face, noticing the bags under his eyes. “How long have you been up?”

“Well, I’ve been taking care of the five of you. Jean and Mikasa got sick last night too. Mika’s fever has been really high, so I’ve been doing what I can to keep it down.” He kissed Levi’s forehead making the shorter man cringe since he felt gross and sweaty again. “You should still take it easy today. I’m going to make some oatmeal in a little bit, see if I can get these guys to eat some.”

“I’m going to take a shower. Then I’ll come help you.” He walked away before Eren could argue with him. He knew Eren must be tired, worried he’d been up so long taking care of everyone. He’d been up all night the night before, and then the others got sick making him stay up another night apparently. If he wasn’t careful, he’d end up sick too just from exhaustion. Levi showered quickly feeling refreshed and his head clearer as he exited and dried off with a towel, he returned to his room to change, finding something comfortable to wear since he didn’t plan on leaving today.

When he came downstairs, everyone but Mikasa was down there. Jean was staring at the bowl of oatmeal in front of him, while Sasha and Connie were devouring it like it was the best meal they ever had. Eren warned them to take it easy or else they’d get sick again. He sat a bowl in front of Levi’s spot along with a cup of tea and some medicine. He stayed in the kitchen drinking a coffee while he watched the others. Jean ate his oatmeal slowly as did Levi. While they looked better, no one was in a hurry to do anything today. Jean said he was going back to bed after he was done and Sasha and Connie went into the living room looking for something to watch while they laid on the floor together. Levi went upstairs and stripped his bed along with Sasha and Mikasa’s, wanting to get them clean and avoid any possible germs they may have. He passed Eren, who he swore fell asleep while standing in the kitchen. After getting the sheets in the wash, leaving the ones that wouldn’t fit for the next load he went to Eren grabbing him by the wrist and pulling him upstairs.

“What’s the matter?” Eren asked confused. Levi grabbed new sheets for his bed and put them on pointing to the bed.

“Go to sleep Eren. At least for a few hours.” Levi ordered. When Eren didn’t make any move to follow his order he gently, but forcefully shoved him down onto the bed straddling him. “Do I need to make sure you sleep?”

Eren smiled and ran his hand through the back of Levi’s hair. “ooh, bossy. It’s sexy.” Eren kissed him frowning when Levi pulled back. “What’s wrong? Does my breath stink or something?”

“No dummy. I don’t want you getting sick too. Bad enough you’ve been taking care of all of us. Swapping spit will just make the chances worse.”

Eren huffed in disapproval and Levi offered him a rain check before ordering him to sleep again. It wasn’t long before Eren complied, his soft snores moving the hair that was covering his face. Levi got off him and covered him with the spare comforter. Shutting the door softly so he could finally get some rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to say thanks to those who left kind words encouraging me. I still feel like I've lost some people along the way, but it's good to see some of you have stayed. Let me know what you think about this one, and if there's anything you want to see. Also some suggestions for Christmas gifts for everyone would be helpful as a Christmas one will be in the next chapter or two.


	31. Chapter 31

“I don’t know. I think it’s a bad idea.” Eren said over the phone as he looked out the window of the house. The snow was coming in again, but softly and it was breathtaking to him. The world was covered in a blanket of white, the snow that was falling was large and fluffy, sticking to the ground easily. “They did just get over the flu.”

 _That was over a week ago. They’ve been fine since. Come on. It’ll be fun._ Reiner replied in a whining voice that had always worked when they were together. Eren rolled his eyes at the receiver.

“Why do I feel like you’re using the kids as an excuse. Bert said you were too old to go didn’t he.”

There was a long pause over the line. _He may have mentioned something like that. Also said if we went, we’d look like pedophiles. But if we bring the kids, we have a reason to go. And didn’t you say they didn’t get to have many experiences?_

Damn him. Eren sighed. “Yeah, they’d never made snow angels until a couple weeks ago when I took them out.”

_See. All the more reason to go right? Their first sledding experience should be the best one. And Armin said you guys were looking at a house nearby. It’s perfect timing. Bert and I can go pick them up and meet you and the blonde duo over there._

“Call Levi and see if he’ll want to go.” Eren said giving in. He had to admit, the idea of sledding in their old stomping grounds did sound fun. He could already see the looks on the kids faces. “And don’t use the kids as your ladder to get the sleds out of storage.” There was too long of a pause. “Reiner…”

_Fine. Although Levi’s small enough he’d probably fit up there. I’ll text you later Jaeger. Go sell some shit._

Eren hung up the phone with a smile. As he was finishing up getting ready, he received a text from Reiner with a thumbs up and a person sliding down a hill. Soon it became a group text while everyone figured out car arrangements. Armin and Annie were picking him up since his car was in the shop and they wanted to go see the home before they went. Bert and Reiner would pick up Levi and the girls while Marco and Jean would bring Connie since they were out shopping together. Jean had been sneaking the kids out to go shopping since they’d gotten better, with Christmas fast approaching. Eren had taken them out as a group, but now they wanted to buy things for each other too, and they were still looking for the ‘perfect’ gift for Levi. Eren had got him a beautiful tea set, along with every tea the small shop had offered. He wasn’t done yet, but it was a start. Everyone was hiding gifts at his house Heichou enjoying all the new boxes he could lay in or on.

It wasn’t long before Armin was knocking on his door. Eren slung his bag of riding clothes along with a spare set over his shoulder. He tossed it in the seat beside him in the back. “So, he managed to rope you two in too huh?”

“Asshole can be very persuasive when he wants to be.” Annie said with a huff.

“It’s been years since we’ve gone. I think it will be fun.” Armin said with excitement. “It’s good to act like a kid every once in a while. Although, we didn’t have anything in our closets anymore. We’ll have to stop at the store and pick some stuff up.”

“We may need to get some sleds too. No telling what condition those ones will be in.” Annie pulled onto the bottom of the street of the house they were seeing since the driveway wasn’t cleaned off yet. Eren led them up the slick drive and opened the door, testing the lights to see if the electric was on. Luckily, it was. He pulled up the information about the house on his phone and read it while Annie and Armin looked around. They’d seen the pictures online and had already loved the home, especially since it put them closer to Armin’s grandpa. It also had an in-law suite which Armin loved, wanting to get his grandpa out of the assisted living he was in and bring him back home. They were inspecting that part of the house now and Eren was pretty impressed with it. It had some safety features already with its own entrance to the garage, the front, and the backyard. It had a small kitchen with only a mini fridge and microwave and the bath had an easy to walk in shower with a bench built in. The main part of the house was recently updated with a large kitchen and all new appliances. It was a two bedroom with a furnished basement. Annie watched him carefully when he walked down with them, but this basement didn’t even feel like a basement. It had a pool table which the previous owners must not have felt like moving again. It was spacious and well lit which would make for a great game room or theatre room. The living room had a large fireplace and the upstairs had the master bed/bath and a smaller bedroom Eren assumed was for a kid with a bathroom at the end of the hall. The yard was smaller than Eren’s and wasn’t fenced in like Levi’s but was still large enough they could have cookouts or sit outside if they wanted to.

“It’s higher than we had originally wanted to go, but the amount gramps and I will save from the home would make up for it.” Armin noted as he looked at Eren’s phone. “You think we could talk them down a couple grand.”

“I can put in an offer, see what they say.” Eren said, looking to Annie who was still inspecting the house. “And what does the future Mrs. think?”

“I like it. I agree with Armin, it’s worth the extra money, and we can still afford it. It will be nice, I think, making this town full of good memories instead of bad ones.” Annie said softly. “I think we should put in an offer before it gets taken.” Armin nodded and kissed his fiancé holding out Eren’s phone to him. Eren made the necessary calls giving the offering bid and now they’d just have to see if they came back with a counteroffer or not.

“Hange and Erwin are going to be pissed.” Eren said with a laugh as he locked up the house.

“Well, it’s not ours yet.” Armin responded getting into the drivers’ seat. Annie was talking excitedly to Reiner telling him they were on their way and they’d put the bid in. He asked Eren what the next steps would be and Eren explained it to them as they drove to the large hill by the cemetery that his mother was at. Armin had stopped along the way so he and Eren could pick up flowers and pick up some extra supplies for sledding. Armin and Annie walked toward the Artlet section of the cemetery so he could give his regards to his grandmother and Eren walked through the crunchy snow to his mothers grave, brushing the snow off so he could see the tombstone.

“Hey Mom. Sorry it’s been awhile.” Eren said softly touching the stone. “I don’t really have a good excuse, just life. But you’d be happy, I think.” He smiled sadly. “I met someone and he’s really great. He takes care of four kids who you would have absolutely adored.” He continued to brush off the top of the grave, frowning when he saw flowers there, just under the snow. Forget me nots like his father would give her, back before everything. He fought back the urge to crumple them up. His mother had loved Grisha Jaegar. She’d never met the monster Eren had come to know. And Grisha had loved her, he had a right to see her, just as much as Eren did. They were older and wilted. He tried not to think about the flowers and instead set his flowers down beside the others. “I know it’s early mom, but I really think he could be the one.” He continued softly. Even though he was alone for the moment. He still felt saying it too loudly would jinx it. “He’s really helped me. I don’t feel like I want to die as much since he’s come in my life.” He sat down with his back against the tomb. “Armin and Annie got engaged. Think they found the house they want. And Hange is pregnant. Erwin finally got his stick out of his ass and they’re back together.” He smiled to himself. “Reiner’s going to propose to Bert soon too. Once he finally grows some balls and just does it already.”

“We’re taking the kids sledding nearby, where you and Grandpa Ar would take us. They’ve been through a tough childhood and haven’t done a lot of things, so I keep trying to show them what I can. Jean’s the oldest. He’s got an attitude but he’s a smart kid and genuinely cares. He’ll go far in life. He’s managed to snag a pretty cool boyfriend too. Connie’s next, although only a little older than Sasha. The two are practically inseparable. Like twins from different moms. They both have so much energy. They certainly keep me on my toes. Then there’s little Mika. She’s shy but she’s starting to come out more. She made me get a cat. Damn Ackerman eyes. Although I’ve gotta admit Heichou’s pretty cool.”

“Then there’ Levi. My man. He’s been through some shit too. You would have just hugged him close and never let him go.” Eren chuckled to himself imagining Levi meeting his mom. “He’s been better though. Takes on too much responsibility on his own, but he’s letting us help more. He and the others took good care of me after the accident.” He hung his head. “I really wish you were here mom. I really miss you.” He let the slow tears fall even though it was cold out. “I promise I’ll come by more. Armin’s new place will be nearby.” He stood and brushed himself off, kissing the top of the stone before turning. He saw a silhouette standing nearby remaining a respectful distance away. As he wiped away his tears, he recognized it was Levi. He gave him a smile and started walking towards him.

“Hey, Armin said you’d probably still be here.” Levi said quietly, his hand reaching out for Eren’s and holding it tight. “You ok?” His other hand brushed away the last of the tears.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just wanted to say hi to mom.”

“If you’re not feeling up to this we can go home.” Levi said looking up at Eren with concern.

“No way, this was one of moms favorite things too.” Eren said with a smile. “Where’d you think my childish personality came from? She was a big kid herself. Besides I wouldn’t do that to the kids.” He started to pull Levi up the tall hill. “Are the other’s up there already?”

“They should be. Annie went to get the bags; the rest were getting their stuff on before going up. Reiner’s got the kids all amped up.”

“Yeah, sounds like him.” He waved when he saw the others. Connie and Sasha were bouncing around the adults while Jean looked concerned, holding Mikasa’s hand.

“They look like death traps.” Jean said pointing to the wooden sleds Reiner must have found. He and Armin had picked up a couple plastic ones when they got the flowers too, just in case. Jean pointed to one of the saucers. “How are you even supposed to ride those?”

“Saucers are my favorite.” Marco said sitting cross legged on one of them and looking up at his boyfriend. “You spin around as you go down. It’s fun.”

“Sounds dangerous.”

“Relax kid.” Annie said taking a seat behind Sasha on one of the wooden ones. “The snow is soft enough underneath you won’t hurt yourself too bad. Besides, we’re all capable of doing any first aid necessary.”

“Yeah. Trust us. We’re adults.” Reiner said grabbing the toboggan and pulling on Bert’s hand. “Come on Connie, you’re riding with us this time round.” Connie rushed over and sat in front of Reiner while Bert sat behind him. “Hey Jaegar, give us a push will ya?”

Eren got behind the sled on the left and Armin jumped on behind Bert, wrapping his arms around the tall skinny man’s waist. Eren and Levi pushed them until it tipped, and they started speeding down. Next to them, Sasha screamed with excitement as she and Annie raced down, and Marco soon followed on his saucer laughing as he slid down the gradual hill.

“So, what’s your poison?” Eren asked pointing to the last of the sleds. Levi picked up the plastic two-seater and motioned for Jean to come with him. While Miksasa sat on one of the other wooden ones like Sasha had taken down shifting her weight so it moved ever so slightly. Eren held onto it before she went over. “Not so fast little lady. You’re not going down alone on the first try.” He took a seat behind her and planted his feet onto the steering holding the rope behind Mikasa. “Ready?” Mikasa nodded excitedly and Eren pushed off letting out a yelp of his own as they sped down. He’d forgotten what this felt like. Behind him he heard Jean yelling. He steered them so that he and Mikasa would hit the soft snow embankment to slow them down. Mikasa squealed with joy, a sound Eren hadn’t heard from her yet.

Sasha was covered in snow laughing while Connie was already racing up the hill pulling the sled Sasha had come down on back up. Eren stuck Mikasa onto the toboggan and Reiner pulled it and her back up with him while Bert, Armin and Annie chatted following along. Sasha finally stood up and raced after the others. Eren heard a thud and saw Levi laughing as he hit the snow covering both him and Jean while Jean was swearing at him. Marco laughed too as he helped his boyfriend up.

This series continued, the kids switching between sleds and who they rode with until they had each gone on every sled and rode with everyone at least once. They tried switching positions on the sleds too, finding their favorite way to slide down. Bert and Armin were sitting at the top trying to blow up some inflatables Reiner had picked up on the way. Eren had just come down the hill again with Connie and was going to start his ascent up when Reiner yelled for him and motioned for him to follow.

“What the hell you bring those for?” Eren asked looking at the kayaks on the roof quizzically.

“We’re going to sled down with them duh.” Reiner said unstrapping them and holding the one out to Eren. “I saw a YouTube video on it, and I’ve been itching to try it.”

“Fuck me.” Eren said holding one of them on top of his head. “This is either going to be the best or worst idea you’ve ever had.” They climbed up the hill quickly, Eren feeling the burn in his legs. He hadn’t worked out this much in a long time. Annie’s eyebrow quirked when she saw the kayaks, releasing a long sigh in defeat.

“Levi, if I die, I’m leaving the house to you. Take care of Heichou for me.” Eren said hopping into one of the kayaks. He could hear Bert talking to Levi about dating morons while Reiner got situated. They each grabbed the oars and between their own momentum and the oars slid down on the kayaks. Eren hit a patch of snow that took him airborne and he landed in the snow laughing hysterically.

“You ok?” Marco asked him and Jean helping him up.

“That was fucking awesome!” I’m doing it again.” Eren said shoving out of the kayak and picking it up over his head again.

Reiner and Eren hand managed to persuade some of the others to try the kayaks too. Marco being one of the first and Jean jumping into the other one when his boyfriend said he was doing it. The inflatable ones were now ready to go so the kids were trying them out too. Eren had persuaded Levi to ride down with him on one of the wooden ones. The couples decided to race one another, so Eren, Levi and Mikasa had hopped onto a sled. Jean and Marco had both managed to sit on one of the saucers together, Annie and Armin had Connie with them on a plastic toboggan and Connie, Bert and Reiner were on the wooden toboggan. They raced down, the kids screaming and the competitive nature coming out. Marco and Jean were the first out flying off the saucer halfway down causing Annie and Armin to try and steer out of their way and falling out too. Eren and Levi pushed with their hands when they started to lose momentum and they just barely won at the end. Gloating to the others.

After everyone made it to the top of the hill, Reiner lied down in the snow. “I’m fucking beat.”

“Come on old man, this was your idea.” Eren said nudging him. Annie and Armin had also sat down with the sleds. Levi collapsed next to Jean and Marco, his chest heaving, but a smile on his face. Jean and Marco were curled up together, Marco’s cheeks were rosy, and he was smiling even more than usual, kissing Jean’s red nose and pulling his scarf tighter around him

“Do we have to go?” Mikasa asked pulling on Eren’s jacket.

“Nah. Looks like they’re just going to take a rest. Come on kids, lets race again.” They jumped around excitedly and Eren heard Armin and Annie talking about having their kind of stamina again. Each of the kids chose a sled and jumped on sliding down before Eren could get on his.

“Little cheats.” Eren yelled sliding down on his stomach on one of the inflatable ones. He’d lost and the kids were laughing around him. He grabbed onto the strings of the sleds while Connie and Sasha carried the inflatable one.

“Should you really be doing that, after just recovering from your injuries?” Eren turned slowly, recognizing his fathers voice.

“Go back up guys.” He said softly and carefully, not wanting to frighten them. His father was holding the wilted set of forget me nots, along with the flowers Eren had just put on his mother’s grave.

“Of all the places I expected to find you again, a snowy hilltop acting like a child near your mothers grave was not one of them.” Grisha tossed Eren’s flowers to the ground and stomped on them. Eren seeing red at the action even when his limbs didn’t want to move. “You think you have any right to see your mother? She’d hate what you’ve become.”

“Shut up” Eren yelled back. His hands clenched tightly. “You have no idea what mom would be like. You were never around when she was alive. Always fucking working, too busy for the both of us”

“I was avoiding you. My waste of space son. Worthless. Useless. A stain in society.” He’d moved closer with every word. Eren’s eyes looked down out of instinct. He felt his father’s hand tilt his chin up. “When are you going to stop being a burden?”

His father’s face was hit with a snowball and it was enough to make Eren look back to see Sasha and Mikasa standing there with snowballs in their hands, Connie having abandoned the inner tube and running up the hill.

“Get away from Eren you meanie.” Sasha said, her arm pulled back to throw another snowball at his father. He grabbed onto Grisha’s wrist when he started to march toward the girls, growling in anger. Eren knew that face. He’d seen it many times and he wasn’t about to let the girls get hurt by his father. He planted himself between them.

“You need children to save you now? How pathetic. And here I though you couldn’t get any worse.” He scoffed at him before turning away. “You’re not even worth my time any more boy. Stay away from your mother’s grave.”

Eren wanted to run after him. He wanted to scream and kick the living shit out of him, but between his body fighting against him, and the small hands that now had gripped onto him, he didn’t do anything but watch his father leave.

“Eren, are you ok?” Sasha asked pulling on his hand until he looked down at her. The others were coming down the hill now, likely because Connie had let them know something was going on, if he wasn’t certain what it was.

“Yeah. Yeah Sash. I’m fine.” Eren said turning away from the direction his father left and kneeled in front of the girls. “What about the two of you?”

“He was scary.” Mikasa said softly putting down the snowball she held. “Like the people who took mommy and daddy away.” She was beginning to shake now that the adrenaline was leaving and Eren pulled her close before she began to sob. “You won’t go away too will you?”

“I don’t plan on it sweetie.” Eren promised taking his gloves off and wiping her face softly. “Shh. It’s ok.”

“Eren!” Annie and Armin were running over to him, Levi not far behind. “What happened?” Armin’s watchful eyes saw the flowers Eren bought on the ground.

“Dad was here.” Eren said softly.

“Fuck. Where’d he go?” Reiner asked looking around. Eren pointed in the direction his father left but figured Reiner wouldn’t find anything. He and Annie ran off together to investigate. Eren picked Mikasa up and gave her to Levi so he could comfort her.

“you’re not mad, are you?” Sasha asked looking up at him. He ruffled her hair.

“No not at all sweetie. You did good.” He sighed. “I hate to be the buzz kill but I think it’s time to call it quits now.” Jean and Marco went back up the hill to get the rest of their things. As Eren expected, the two cops came back empty handed. His father wouldn’t have confronted him if he didn’t have an easy way out. That’s not how it worked. He helped load up the cars, suggesting they got to Hannes for drinks while they were in town.

“You sure that’s a good idea?” Armin asked turning him so he could look Eren over.

“Armin if I go home, I’m just going to be alone and miserable anyways.” Eren said shaking him off. “I don’t want him to ruin everything for everyone. A warm drink sounds good right now.” Armin pursed his lips but didn’t argue with him. The three cars drove down the street to The Rosemont. Annie was talking to the police station the ride over and Eren wished he’d switched cars. He just didn’t want to deal with it right now. His dad was gone and that was that. He walked ahead of the others hearing the familiar bell ringing as he walked in.

“Eren? Is that really you kiddo?” Hannes asked from behind the counter.

“Hey Hannes. The gang’s all here.” Eren jerked his thumb as the others began to pile in. Hannes gave a cry of joy and came from behind the counter wrapping Eren in a tight hug.

“Look at you. Damn you got tall. Still take after your mom though. You’re freezing kid. Where were you?”

“We went sled riding before. Like old times.” He pointed to the kids where were around Levi looking around the store. “Had to bring the next generation of misfits.”

“Hahaha. Doesn’t surprise me one bit. Go on. Get warm by the fire. I’ll be over to get drink orders in a minute.” Hannes hugged the others he had known, ruffling Armin’s hair and teasing him before going behind the counter again.

“Place hasn’t changed much. Although now we can enjoy the bar too.” Reiner sat down on one of the worn couches.

“Armin, you’ve probably read every book in here.” Annie said patting the seat beside her when Armin went straight to the bookcases.

“I’m sure Hannes has added more since we were kids.”

“So, what is this place?” Jean asked looking around. It was an old church that Hannes and his wife had renovated to make their business. The stain glass windows were still there, giving an ambient light to the room. They’d put in a large fireplace which everyone was now huddled around.

“It’s a hangout place. Mostly for the young or the really old.” Annie said nodding her head to Hannes’ regulars who were sitting at the bar. “We used to come here after school. Better than going home for us.”

“Yeah, the middle school and the elementary used to be on this side of town, but then they decided to put all 3 schools near one another to make it easier on families. We’d walk here after school and read or talk to old man Hannes until he kicked us out or called our parents.”

Eren sat down on the old couch in relief. Levi seemed to distrust the furniture and sat practically in Eren’s lap, which he didn’t mind one bit. He inhaled the smell of Levi’s hair, letting the familiar scent calm the last of his nerves. The kids were sitting on the rug by the fire and Marco and Jean had taken seats at the wooden table with a checkerboard on top.

“Alright, what will I get everyone?” Hannes asked handing Levi, Jean and Marco menu’s and looking at Eren.

“I’ll just have a hot chocolate. Extra syrup and extra marshmallows.”

“I’ll have the same Hannes.” Armin said still looking at the books.

“A black tea just honey.” Annie offered

“The warm Meade.” Reiner said “What, we can have it now.”

“I’ll have that also.” Bert responded. Hannes nodded turning to Levi first. “And for the new faces?”

“Chai tea.” Levi said handing him the menu. “The thee of them will have hot chocolate. Extra marshmallows too.”

“Butterbeers for us.” Marco said happily. “I’ve heard people talk about them before but never knew where they were getting them.”

“That was the wife’s concoction. She loved the books.” He left and came back with all of their drinks taking a seat next to Armin and Annie. “So, looks like you two love birds stayed together huh?”

Annie smiled and held out her ring. “We sure did.”

Hannes whistled approvingly. “Good job Armin. How’s your gramps doing?”

“A lot better after his hip surgery. We just put a bid in a house with an in-law suite so now that he’s moving around more on his own, he can stay with us.”

“We’ll be sure to come more often if we get the place.” Annie replied.

“I’d like that.” Hannes turned his attention to Reiner. “How about you kiddo? Staying out of trouble?”

“Mostly. Annie and Bert keep me in line.” Reiner said kissing Bert’s cheek.

“And you Jaegar? I see you have a new friend.”

“My boyfriend, Levi.” Eren said taking a sip of his hot chocolate. “The kids, other than Marco over there, are his.” Levi held out his hand for Hannes to take and Marco waved over at him.

“Good for you. Glad you found someone.”

“Would anyone like some cookies?” Hannes’ wife asked coming over to say hello. She handed them to the kids. “It was a bad batch. Not that the cookies themselves are bad, but the shape was all wrong.”

“A cookie is a cookie.” Eren assured her with a smile taking one from the basket. The two of them left going back to wait on other customers.

“Seems more like visiting someone than going to a business.” Marco said as they walked. “Not like Sina’s. It’s like their goal is more the interaction than getting any money. And these drinks are delicious.”

“Yeah. Hannes wanted to keep the place small. Like a small-town secret.” Eren agreed. “The people who live around here know about it, and it can be busy sometimes, but more often than not, it’s just like this. They know almost everyone who comes in.” They stayed there for a while, getting warmed up and sipping on their drinks. When it came time to leave, Levi pulled Eren to the side.

“Why don’t you come stay with us tonight?” Levi asked putting his arms around Eren’s neck.

“I don’t know. I probably won’t be getting much sleep tonight. Honestly.” His body was tired after the day they had, but he knew his mind wouldn’t be so easy to appease.

“All the more reason for you to stay.” Levi said looking up at him with concern. “I don’t want you in your head all alone. If you’re worried about waking everyone, I can see if someone can watch the kids.”

“No. I’ll come over.” He lifted Levi’s head up so he could kiss him. “I’m sorry, that the girls got involved. I should have done something before they did.”

“They care about you too. They were worried about you. Poor Connie. He ran up so fast he wasn’t able to speak. Just kept pointing. We thought maybe one of you got hurt. I’m just glad that it wasn’t the case.”

Eren opted to ride with Jean and Marco back to the house, so Armin and Annie didn’t need to bother dropping him off. He sat in the back with Connie, the kid falling asleep as Marco drove. He could see Marco was tired too when he pulled in.

“Hey, you should stay the night. One of us can call your parents.” He told Marco as he picked up Connie from the back seat. “I know you don’t have a long drive, but it’s been a tiring day.”

Marco looked to Jean who shrugged tiredly. “If Levi doesn’t have a problem with it, I don’t.”

“I wouldn’t get your hopes up too much though. You’ll probably be on the couch.”

“Come on. Connie’s in the same room as me. Not like I’m going to do anything.”

“Preaching to the wrong choir Jean. Talk to your guardian, not me. It’s not my call.”

Levi helped get the kids cleaned up and into bed while Eren called Marco’s parents. They offered to come pick him up but Eren assured them it was no problem for him to stay. He wanted to err on the ide of caution rather than let the teen drive home. Jean gave him some of his clothes to wear and Levi set up the couch for him. Finally, he and Levi got cleaned up before bed, the water turning cold during Levi’s shower so Eren’s was nothing but cold. Levi apologized to him and Eren shrugged it off. It was to be expected with so many getting cleaned up at once. He climbed into bed with Levi the smaller man curling into him. He used Levi’s breathing to help lull him to sleep.


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas/Levi's birthday

It was Christmas morning. A day Levi loved and dreaded. He looked down at the measly packages he’d been able to afford on his budget that sat under the tree. All of it was items that were useful, no toys or games. Each of them did get a new book though. He’d been able to swing that. He knew the kids weren’t material people, but he still felt awful like he did every year. Their friends would brag about what things they got, and they would have to say they got new clothes and school supplies. He sighed, well at least they could have a good breakfast.

He pulled out the ingredients he’d need. He didn’t bother to wake the kids up, they would come down when they were ready. Eren was supposed to come over in the morning too. They were opening presents here and then going to Eren’s house for a Christmas party with his friends. Eren had invited Farlan and Isabel also. The two of them didn’t have any family so Eren told them to join his ragtag group. Eren had been absent this week. He was apologetic but said he was busy. Hange was getting restless not finding a home, so he and her were constantly going to look at places.

He heard the front door opening and didn’t bother to turn. He assumed it was either Hange or Eren since they were the ones with keys to his home. He felt Eren’s warm arms wrap around him as he flipped the eggs. Eren kissed his neck. “Merry Christmas” he said softly in Levi’s ear.

“Stop. You’ll make me burn the eggs.” Levi said, even though he leaned into Eren’s touch. He’d missed him, probably more than he should have. It had only been a week after all. Come to think of it, since the two of them had started dating, he’d never gone more than a few days seeing Eren. Likely the longest was when he was in his funk after the brothel incident, in which time hadn’t moved the way it should for him anyways.

“But I want Christmas kisses.” Eren said, wrapping himself tighter around Levi. He nibbled on the other side of Levi’s neck.

“The kids will be up soon.” Levi tried to reason. He browned the sausage in the other skillet while he waited for the eggs to finish.

“All the more reason to get my kisses in now.” Eren responded. “Once they stampede down the stairs, the day will be all about them.” He peppered Levi’s body with kisses, anywhere he was able to see skin. “But I just want a little time just us.”

“You could have stayed last night.” Levi tried to hide the bitterness in his tone. “Then we would have lots of time just us.”

“I’m sorry love. I had to get everything ready today. You see I have this really OCD boyfriend so my cleaning game had to be amped up to impress him. Nothing like getting a house all ready for people to destroy after drinking too much eggnog.”

“Maybe you should ditch the boyfriend. He sounds like a pain.”

“Nah. I love him, even the OCD cleaning. I think it’s adorable. I’m going to keep him around as long as he wants me.”

Levi turned off the food and finally turned. Eren’s eyes were crinkled from smiling. “You just like how he cleans for you.”

“It is a perk.” Eren pecked his lips. “But certainly not the only reason.” Another peck. “You want me to list them for you? We’ll be here awhile if I do.”

On the third kiss Levi pulled him closer, deepening the kiss the way he liked. Eren’s mouth opened for him and Levi’s tongue invaded hungrily. He tasted Eren’s minty toothpaste and mouthwash, the smell of his bodywash and shampoo invading his scent as he breathed through his nose to prolong the kiss. Eren turned him away from the stove, pushing him into the counter as his hands began to roam on Levi’s body. Levi sighed into his mouth. He really did miss him. Such a silly thought. When they finally pulled away from one another, Eren’s bun was disheveled and falling out while Levi assumed his hair was faring no better after Eren’s hands had mussed it up. They were breathing heavily, both smiling uncontrollably.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t come last night.” Eren apologized again. “I just wanted everything to be perfect. But I also felt bad, leaving you alone to get everything ready for the kids.”

“Tch. It’s not like there was much to get ready.” Levi said with disdain. He reached up to grab plates, moving the sausage links around one last time before plating them next to the eggs. The buzzer went off and Levi pulled out the muffins he made, Eren’s eyes not leaving them as he put one on each of the plates with care. On cue, Levi could hear screaming upstairs. It appeared Sasha was awake and was making sure everyone else was too. Although the ‘magic’ of Christmas had long since gone away from them, they still enjoyed the day, knowing Levi would spoil them to the best of his ability. Eren helped him take the plates over to the table. “Fix your hair before they come down.” Levi said running his hand through his own.

“Yes sir.” Eren said with a wink and pulled out his hair tie. He ran his hands through it to get it all back in place before putting the tie back in. Levi warmed up the kettle for tea and Eren brewed coffee for him and Jean before pulling out glasses and filling them with orange juice for Sasha, Connie and Mikasa.

“Is Marco coming tonight?” Eren asked watching his pot brew anxiously.

“I think he is after dinner with his parents. He’s picking Jean up around lunch so he can be with his family before they come to your place.” He heard the rumbling of the steps as Sasha and Connie ran down with Mikasa running behind.

“Eren!” Mikasa ran over to him while Sasha pulled out her seat staring at the food Levi had made. Eren picked Mikasa up and twirled her around making her giggle. “Merry Christmas.”

“A very Merry Christmas to you too.” He kissed her cheek before putting her down. Connie had come up to give Levi a hug and wish him Merry Christmas too. He also said happy birthday to him softly. Levi had asked the kids not to say anything to Eren. He knew the brunette would make it a big deal. Eren went over and kissed Sasha on the cheek, giving her a raspberry kiss that caused her to giggle. “Merry Christmas.” He told her before giving Connie the same treatment. Jean walked passed, wishing Levi a Merry Christmas and heading straight for the coffee. He shoved his hand in Eren’s face.

“Don’t you dare try to kiss me you weirdo.” Jean said pushing him away.

“Hmph. Fine Grinch.” Eren said with a huff ripping the coffee pot away and filling his cup first.

They ate and talked, Sasha asking about what Eren had planned at his place. He told them they would just have to wait and see. Afterwards, they went to the living room, sitting near the small tree Levi had bought and the kids had decorated with handmade ornaments. Was it pretty? No, not really. But it was special. The first real tree in the first real home. The kids handed each other the gifts as they sifted through to find theirs. They each had 3 things to open. Levi didn’t look over at Eren as they opened up them, not wanting to see how he’d react. They got things like new socks and underwear, new toothbrushes and their soaps or body washes of their choice. Jean got a new razor. One full new outfit each, and the new book. Connie shook his box as though looking for something else and got a kick from Sasha for doing so. With a sigh of frustration Levi left and went upstairs slamming his bedroom door harder than he’d meant to. It was the same every year. He hated this part and hated watching them try to pretend they were happy with what he got them.

“Levi?” Eren softly knocked on his door before walking in. Levi looked up at him, feeling more vulnerable than he had in some time. Eren shut the door and knelt in front of him. “What’s wrong?”

“Why would kids be happy for the crap I managed to get them?” Levi said in frustration. “I should have bought them things they wanted.” A moment of fear came over him. “What if Petra decides she will take them now?”

“Because you bought them useful gifts? I promise you, that’s the least of their worries. The only gifts I got in my foster homes were the ones my friends got me or Hange and Erwin got. And a lot of it got stolen.” He brushed his hands over Levi’s face. “You did what you could, you always do.” He held out his arms “This, this is your gift. A home where they can be safe, happy, and warm. A family.”

“What did you get them?” Levi asked looking down at him.

“I didn’t know it was a competition love. I promise I didn’t spend much. Hange may have gone a little overboard, but that’s just what she does.” Eren pushed his way through Levi’s legs so he could wrap his arms around him. “Levi, you did what you could and believe me, they’re grateful for it. Please don’t be down.”

Levi sighed and sunk into Eren. “I’m trying.”

“I know love, I know. And you’ve done a lot in a short time. Why didn’t you tell me you were worried about this? I would have brought my gifts over too and said they were from you. Or I would have loaned you money if you didn’t want to.”

“I don’t want money from you.” Levi said feeling ill. Thinking about worse days when he worked for the brothel. “And it’s stupid anyways. And you haven’t been around this week.” He sounded bitter again at the end. He let out another sigh before standing, holding out his hand for Eren and putting on a face for the kids. “Lets just go back downstairs. I don’t want to ruin today for the kids just because I’m feeling inadequate.”

Eren bit his lower lip “Ok. If you say so. We’ll talk about it later though. Why don’t you get dressed? I’ll put a movie or something on before we need to go to my place.”

“Do I have to wear something nice or just casual?”

“Everything you wear is nice love.” Eren said with a smile. “Just wear whatever. It’s just our friends. Hell, you can keep the pajamas on if you want.”

“Not happening.” Levi looked through his closet as Eren left. He found a blue long sleeve shirt that Eren liked and put on his nicest pair of jeans. Eren was sitting on the couch with the kids. Mikasa was on his lap and Jean sat next to him. Connie and Sasha were sitting on the floor as they watched some old Christmas movie. Connie looked back at Levi when he walked in but Levi saw Eren shake his head at him, so he turned back around. When Levi took the seat next to Eren, Mikasa crawled into his lap curling into him. He kissed her head affectionately and stayed with them watching the movie until the kids needed to get ready to go to Eren’s. He grabbed the food he was taking and Eren helped him get it to the car. Eren was doing a pot luck so he wasn’t responsible for all the cooking. Levi had made some food that would just need to be put in the oven when dinner got closer. Jean waved and promised to be back at Eren’s for dinner and presents when Marco pulled in.

“Eren why are there cars in the driveway already?” Sasha asked looking up the road to Eren’s home.

“Well, because Hange is a crazy person, and so are my friends. They wouldn’t let a little old thing like me not being home stop them.” Eren pulled up in the driveway but didn’t make a move to go in the garage like he used to. When Levi asked about it, Eren shrugged saying there wasn’t much point going into the garage when he’d probably be leaving with them anyways.

“Hello my lovelies!” Hange said grabbing everyone in a hug as they walked through Eren’s back door. “Merry Christmas to all!” She was wearing an ugly sweater that lit up. The kids were looking at it in awe.

“Hey Eren.” Annie came out of the living room and gave his best friend a hug. “We got here a little early.”

“We found the eggnog!” Reiner called out from the living room. Eren rolled his eyes and ushered the kids through the living room with him, pulling on Levi’s hand as he did. Heichou was eyeing up the tree Eren had set up. Levi had been on the phone with Eren one of the times the cat had managed to pull the tree down. This time, the tree was saved because Sasha picked up the cat and brought him over to the others sitting in a small circle.

“No Armin?” Levi asked looking over at Annie sitting alone. She shook her head.

“No he’s working today. He usually does doubles on holidays for the extra money. We celebrated yesterday and went to see his grandpa. And since I don’t speak to my family anymore, I’ve come to join the misfits.”

“We’re happy to have you.” Eren said kissing her cheek. Levi looked at all the presents that were sitting under the tree and Eren assured him it wasn’t all just for the kids. Everyone chatted while Reiner, Erwin, and Bert watched whatever football game was on, screaming at the tv when something happened that Levi didn’t follow. He’d never been a big football fan and didn’t follow the sport. Eren tried to explain it to him a little while he sat next to him on the couch, an arm slung over Levi’s shoulder while Hange laid between Eren and Erwin. Her feet were in Erwin’s lap as he massaged them and her head in Eren’s. Isabel and Farlan showed up around the time that Moblit did, and Mike and his wife Nanaba arrived shortly after. Eren started getting the food ready with Levi’s help. Most of it was already prepared like Levi had done. Everyone had brought a dish with them and now they just needed to warm everything up. Marco and Jean walked in just as dinner was being served. With everyone there, people were cramped and trying to find seats where they could.

“Dude, next house you buy needs to have a huge dining room.”

“Or. The house you buy can have one.” Eren countered looking over at Reiner. “Then I don’t have to host all the damn time.”

“We’ll host the next thing at our place once the closing is done and we’re moved in.” Annie said with a smile.

“Oh! That reminds me. Eren would it be too soon to start looking for homes if we’re not going to be getting out of the lease for 6 months?” Isabel asked.

“No, not really. It takes a while to find the house you want, especially if you’re looking for something specific. Then, sometimes the sale is contingent on the owners finding a new home so you need to wait. There’s also the inspection and the loan process. It would be smart to get preapproved now, but I can show you whatever houses you want me to. You don’t want to stay in the duplex?”

“We like it. The landlords good and we have great neighbors of course.” Farlan smiled over at Levi. “But I don’t like all of our rent money going to something that’s not really ours you know?”

“I get it. Only reason why we still have our place is because it’s cheaper with the four of us splitting the rent. And no maintenance.” Reiner agreed. “We’re starting to look for places too though. Fuck Eren, you’re going to be busy just with the people in this room.”

“Well, we’re also going to be needing a bigger place.” Isabel said looking over at Hange who smiled broadly.

“You’re pregnant too!” Hange said jumping up and grabbing Isabel’s hands who shyly nodded. “Oh that’s wonderful! How far along are you?”

“Almost a month now.” Isabel said “We wanted to make absolutely sure before we said anything to anyone, and well I was worried you’d be upset, like I was stealing your thunder or something.”

“No way! We can start shopping together once we know the sexes.” Hange clapped her hands together. “You’re staying around here right? The kids can grow up together.”

“Yes we plan on staying in town. Maybe try and find something just on the outskirts, but we’ll be close.”

Eren’s doorbell rang and he stood up looking confused. “I got it.” Reiner said from the kitchen. He’d gotten up to get everyone refills on their drinks.

“Armin?” Hange asked looking over at Annie.

“Armin wouldn’t have rang.” Annie said tensing up and leaning around trying to see who it was

Levi got up and followed Eren out to the kitchen, wondering idly if Petra came to do another inspection. It was the only person he could think of. Instead, it was a blonde man with glasses that vaguely looked familiar to him.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Reiner asked looking at the man and standing in the doorway so he couldn’t enter.

“I thought you and Eren broke up. Why are you answering his door?” The man scratched at his ear waiting for Reiner to move or answer him. He looked past Reiner to Eren. “You have your ex guarding your door now?” Reiner glared at the man, his hand tightening on the door.

“Reiner let him in.” Eren said getting closer.

“You’re kidding me right?”

“No. I’m not. Move.”

“Well, thanks for that little brother.” Zeke said once he was inside. Reiner pushed past Eren slamming into his shoulder. The man turned to look at Levi. “You look a lot better than the last time I saw you. Shorter than I expected though.”

Levi turned and looked at Eren confused. Eren sighed. “Zeke’s the doctor I brought to your place and took Jean and Mikasa to see.” Ah that’s where Levi recognized him from. His fever had been so high he’d barely seen the man while he looked him over. “Zeke’s my older brother.”

“Half brother.” Zeke amended.

“Not from the good half though.” Eren countered. “Why are you here?”

“I couldn’t stand being at the house any longer but didn’t want to go to an empty home either. Didn’t expect you to be so popular.” Zeke looked at the food on the table. “I can go.”

“No, you’re here now. Grab a plate and come sit down.” Eren said flippantly walking back into the living room. Levi followed, still confused. He was under the impression Eren and his brother didn’t speak much. So why had he reached out to him when Levi was sick?

Zeke walked in with his plate, looking around and not finding anywhere to sit, he joined the kids on the floor. “Hey kiddos. How is everyone doing?” He asked ignoring the looks that most of the adults were giving him.

“Your dad send you to spy on Eren?” Annie asked looking down at the blonde. Zeke sighed.

“No, actually that’s why I left. Dad came to Mom’s and was already acting like a drunken fool.” Zeke leaned into the wall behind him. “She can deal with that if she wants to. I’m not really interested.” He looked over at Eren.

“Zeke and I are fine. Leave him be.” Eren said. “Not planning any family trips or anything, but we’re amicable.”

“Aww, you’re warming my heart there Eren.” Zeke joked clutching a fist over his heart.

As everyone finished up dinner, Levi began to clean, with the help of the others. Eren stayed in the living room, talking quietly with Zeke. Annie portioned out leftovers for everyone to take home while Farlan put out desserts for everyone to snack on the rest of the night. Levi could see Annie leaning towards the living room trying to listen to Eren and Zeke. Bert came over and rolled up his sleeves, offering to help rinse off the dishes and Reiner joined to dry them. Nanaba, Mike and Moblit all left for the evening wishing everyone a good holiday. Zeke left next waving to everyone and telling his brother to have a good night and he apologized for making things awkward. Afterwards, everyone returned to the living room for presents. Eren put on a Santa hat as he started handing out gifts.

“These are from Annie, Armin, Reiner and Bert.” He said as he handed envelopes to each of the kids, including Marco, and one to Levi. Hange and Erwin got a wrapped gift. He looked over at Reiner. “Should we be opening these? Or is it going to be like last year?”

“Hange and Erwin should wait.” Reiner said with a wink. “The rest are safe.” Levi opened the envelope seeing tickets to a ski resort. “We talked about it when we went sled riding. We all thought it would be fun and a good chance to get away for awhile.”

“The dates are open ended and good until next year.” Annie added. “But we were hoping to get everyone to go together for a weekend trip. Hange and Erwin, we figured you’d stay home this year, but if you want tickets too, we can get them.”

“No you’re right. I can’t even enjoy the hot tub right now.” Hange said with a smile. “That’s fine though. Leave the old people at home.” She said dramatically leaning into Erwin as she peeked into the present she’d been handed. “Oooh. Looks like we’ll have fun on our own.” She snickered.

“Why is there another set for summer?” Jean asked holding up the second ticket. “The ski resort wouldn’t be open then right?”

“They turn the slopes into zip lines.” Reiner said, his eyes brightening.

“So it would be like flying?” Connie asked looking up with interest.

“Yeah, kind of. It’s all family oriented.” Bert said looking over to Levi. “We double checked age limits for all the tickets before we bought them.”

“Thank you, but this must have cost a fortune.”

“Just shut up and take them.” Annie said tossing a bow at him. “It’s Christmas after all.”

Eren handed out a couple small gifts “These are also from the fantastic four.” Eren said. They had given Jean a poker set along with instructions on how to play, Sasha got a Smore maker set, Connie got a new game for Eren’s game system, and Mikasa got a new board game. This continued on with Farlan and Isabel getting things the kids could use outside, and they gave Jean and Marco gift cards to the movie theatre. They gave Levi a gift card to the mall. Eren left and returned from his spare room with large bags for each of them from Hange and Erwin.

“Wow Hange!” Connie said standing up so he could look into the bag. “These are all for us?”

“Yep, but still share with one another.” Hange said smiling. “No takebacks.” She reminded Levi as he looked into his own bag. In it was clothes, some DVD’s, cooking supplies, and a gift card to a restaurant. They’d given the kids more board games, clothes, a few toys, and some movies. Jean’s was a smaller bag, and he revealed a laptop box, along with noise canceling headphones.

“Figured you could use it for school work, and the headphones may come in handy if you’re trying to study.”

“Wow, this is great. Thanks. Now I don’t have to steal Eren’s all the time.” Jean said with a smile. The couple also gave Marco some gift cards, ignoring his protests that he wasn’t expecting to get gifts when he came over. They also got Farlan and Isabel a gift card to the same restaurant Levi had got. For Eren, they gave him a few gift cards to places he liked.

“My turn.” Eren said, handing out gifts to everyone. He’d given Annie and Armin house warming gifts along with a gift card to get things they needed for the new home. Reiner and Bert got tickets to their favorite football team, for Farlan and Isabel, he’d given them a romantic evening package which included dinner and a couples massage. Erwin got some things for his office along with some hunting gear and Hange got a large u shaped pillow Eren said he’d read helped with sleeping in the later months of pregnancy. He also got her a gift card to a maternity shop for when she needed to start buying larger clothes.

For the kids, he’d kept it simple like he’d told Levi. They got games they could have while at Eren’s house and spring and summer clothes. He’d also given them passes to the local gym so he could teach them how to swim before the summer months or join any classes if they wanted to learn a new hobby. He’d given Levi a beautiful antique tea set along with a collection of teas. He’d also made a coupon book that had things like one free foot massage, a couples night out etc. Levi smiled at it, enjoying the handmade gift more than the other material items.

“We’re up next right?” Jean asked standing up. Eren nodded and he and Jean grabbed stuff from the spare bedroom again.

“Oh? What’s all this?” Hange asked as each of the kids brought over gifts for her and Erwin. They were running around and handing everyone theirs. “You didn’t need to get anything for us darlings.”

“But we wanted to.” Sasha said, Connie nodding next to her. “To show how much we appreciate all of you.”

“Eren helped us.” Mikasa said smiling as she put a present in Levi’s lap. Each of the children came over and did the same looking up at him expectantly. They’d made everyone the same thing, handmade ornaments and fleece blankets that had different designs based on the person.

“When did you do all this?” Levi asked looking over at them.

“Usually when you’ve been at work.” Eren said smiling as he took a seat next to Jean.

“Are these heating pads?” Annie asked holding up one of the items. Eren nodded. “Oh this will be great for after work. Thanks you guys.” She was already wrapping her blanket around herself.

Next the kids gave eachother presents, which Levi hadn’t expected either. Most were things that were handmade too, but some of them were nice small things from the store. Mikasa pushed Eren in the seat next to Levi and they gave him his gifts which included a new tie and some photography supplies. After gifts, everyone helped clean up, much to Heichou’s dismay as the black cat had been jumping and hiding in the empty boxes. Mikasa made him happy though when she grabbed a stocking for him and she started playing with him and his new toys. Annie, Reiner and Bert left together, Isabel and Farlan leaving at the same time. Hange and Erwin stood to leave, giving everyone hugs and kisses, Hange looking very tired. After they’d left Marco had given Jean a kiss telling him good night and he’d call him in the morning.

Levi had been about ready to finish cleaning up when Eren grabbed him and pulled him back into the living room sitting him back on the couch.

“Sorry, love we’re not done yet.” He said with a smile Jean walked in with a cake with candles on it and he and the others began to sing happy birthday to him. Levi looked over at Eren who was still smiling while singing along with the others.

“So we know you don’t like to celebrate your birthday, but we wanted this year to be different.” Jean said holding out the cake. “Now make your wish.” Levi took a breath and blew out the candles.

“I never said anything to you.” Levi said looking at Eren as Jean took the cake back in the kitchen.

“They told me before you told them not to. They wanted my help to get you birthday presents.” He nodded to the girls who went to his spare room and brought out more gifts. Eren kissed his cheek. “Happy birthday love.”

Levi opened up the rest of the gifts, getting new oven mitts from Sasha, a new outfit from Jean, a bath robe and slippers from Connie, and Mikasa gave him a picture frame that she’d decorated. It was a black and white picture of the 4 of them.

“Eren took the picture for us.” Jean said. “We have more too.” Jean said pointing to the last box. “That one’s from all of us.” Levi opened it up to find a scrapbook. He flipped through the pages and found ones of him with the kids or the kids alone, smiling for the camera. There were a couple pages of just him and Eren and some with Hange. He didn’t know when someone had taken pictures, but there were some from the party Eren had hosted as he showed the kids how to make smores. There were still a lot of empty pages left to add more pictures too later. Levi felt the tears welling in his eyes as he ran his hand over the cover. “Our Misfit Family” it said.

“Thank you.” He whispered. “This is really the best gift.” He set it down, and he gave everyone a hug, finally turning to Eren. “And thank you, for everything you did to help.”

Eren returned the hug. “It was nothing really. It was all their idea. I was just their chauffeur and supervisor. Although I feel like they’re making my gift look bad now.” He said standing and getting a small box from under the skirt of the tree. He handed it to him and Levi opened it, finding a set of Eren’s car keys in them. He held them up curiously.

“Happy birthday.” Eren said smiling and taking a step back. “The car is yours now. No more walking all over the place or taking the bus.”

“Wait, what?” Levi asked confused. “You’re giving me the car? What about you?”

“Got a new one. It’s a bigger SUV so everyone can fit. I wanted to give you it honestly, but I figured you wouldn’t take it. So, you have the old one, and if you want to trade it in for something nicer or whatever you can.”

“You can’t give me something like this. It’s too much.”

“I can, and I did. No take backs.” Eren said crossing his arms. “Honestly, it’s not that great of a car, but it’s a good starting one. I was debating turning it in and getting a new one anyways, but I figured you could use it more than the dealership could.”

“But, what if we break up?” Levi asked still staring dumbfounded at the keys before looking up at Eren, who’s lips had turned to a sad frown.

“Well, I hope that doesn’t happen, but it’s still a gift. It’s yours now. No matter what happens with us. We’ll need to get the title switched and look into insurance for you, but for now you can use it like it’s yours.”

Levi pulled Eren down for a kiss. “It’s still way too much. All of this is, but thank you.”

“You all deserve it. I mean it.” Eren said softly in his ear.

Eren helped the kids sort through the things they got, deciding what would stay here at Eren’s and what would go home with them tomorrow. Donning new pajamas they’d been given, Eren pulled Jean and Connie aside and lead them to the basement. Levi followed out of curiosity.

“Not really a gift per se, but something Erwin and I have been working on, since you’ve all been staying over more.” Eren said pointing to the sectioned off portion of the basement. Jean opened the new door and inside were 2 beds and a small dresser. “Connie, I know you don’t mind sleeping with the girls upstairs, but I put a bed down here for you just in case.”

“Jeeze, we’ve been over a few times and didn’t know you were working on this.” Jean said looking around the room.

“It’s an old project, you saw how it was before. I just had a hard time finishing it. Finally got it done though. I just wanted you to feel at home here too.”

“Thanks Eren.”

After Levi had made sure everyone was situated in bed, he walked into Eren’s bedroom, staring at Eren’s tan tattooed back as he slipped on a shirt. Eren saw him in the mirror and smiled. “So, how was our first Christmas together?” He asked, pulling the hem of his shirt down.

“Better than any other before. I still feel bad, the gifts I got for everyone seem so stupid after everything the kids and I got.”

“I told you it’s not a competition. Besides, almost everyone else did things as a couple. It wasn’t just one income. No one else has kids, yet anyways. Apparently next year, we’ll have 2 extra kids.”

“Already planning for next year huh?” Levi asked his eyebrow quirking.

“Is there a reason I shouldn’t be?” Eren responded as he wrapped his arms around Levi, turning him so he’d fall onto the bed.

“I think you set your bar too high if you plan another one. I mean, how are you going to top a car?” Levi pulled himself onto the bed.

“Oh, I can think of a few things that can still top it.” Eren crawled on top of him and kissed Levi’s neck. “But that’s for me to worry about. This wasn’t some going out with a bang gift. And don’t you worry about trying to outdo me on my birthday.” He looked down at Levi running a hand through his hair. “This, this is all I ever need.”

“I’ll keep that in mind when the time comes.” Levi said pulling Eren down closer. “For now just give me Christmas kisses.”

Once Eren’s lips met his, the world fell away for both of them, so neither one saw the shadow moving outside the window....


	33. Chapter 33

Eren woke to Heichou staring down at him, his paw tapping on Eren’s face as he mewed. He was going to move Heichou and go back to sleep until he smelled the smoke. Grabbing the cat so he wouldn’t fall he sat up noticing the air above was hazy.

“Levi get up now!” Eren said shoving him harder than he ever normally would have. He hurried to put his clothes back on setting the cat down as it continued to meow at him.

“Hmm?” Levi looked around blearily. “What’s wrong?”

“Get up.” Eren said again tossing his clothes at him. The smoke alarm out in the hall started to go off and Eren cursed grabbing an extra shirt. The bedroom door was open, although Eren thought Levi had closed it last night. He picked up the crying cat and looked into the hall. The smoke was getting denser, but he didn’t see any flames. He opened the spare bedroom where Sasha and Mikasa were blinking and covering their ears. “Come on girls. We need to go outside.” Eren said pulling them up and handing Heichou to Sasha. He pulled off the blanket on the bed as Levi met him by the door. “Take these two out the front. I’ll get Connie and Jean.” Eren said. Levi nodded and ushered the girls to the front while Eren rushed to the kitchen. He saw the flames at his back door, his back porch burning. He ran past the flames and opened the basement door rushing down the steps.

The smoke alarm was muffled down here, so the boys hadn’t woken yet. He shook them both awake. “We need to go. The house is on fire.” Eren said in a hurry, grabbing their blankets too so they wouldn’t be cold as they stood outside. He shoved them toward the basement door swearing again when he saw the flames had reached it.

“Eren-“ Connie said looking at the flames in horror. He began to shake in fear. Jean’s mouth was open in a silent scream as he watched. Eren pulled them to the washer and dryer. He jumped on top of the washer and when the window wouldn’t open, he smashed it with his elbow until it shattered. He pulled the blanket out of Jeans shock stricken hands and kept hitting the window until most of the glass was gone and laid the blanket around the edges. “Connie. You first buddy.” He said holding out his arms for Connie to jump up. When Connie didn’t let go of Jean, Jean picked him up and handed him to Eren. “You need to crawl out.” Eren said looking at Connie in the eye and keeping his own fear out of his face and voice. “Levi and the girls are outside already. Run out towards the front.” Connie nodded and looked at the window, then at Jean and Eren. “Go on Connie. We’ll be right behind you.” Eren said with a small smile, holding him up so he could reach the window and crawl through the small space. When he was out Eren gave him a thumbs up. “Go to Levi now ok? We’re coming.” Connie nodded and ran toward the front.

“Eren, we won’t fit.” Jean said looking at the window.

“I won’t.” Eren told the teen honestly. “But you’re still enough of a bean pole you’ll make it through. Come on, hurry up. We can keep arguing when we’re waiting for the firetruck.” He pulled on Jean’s arm until Jean jumped up next to him. “I’ll give you the boost. Try and watch the glass as best you can.” Eren cupped his hands so Jean could use them to stand. Jean grabbed onto the window and started to pull himself up and Eren held onto him encouraging him to make it through. Jean was able to get one shoulder out first, then the other. He had to arch his back to get his torso and his butt out, then he was all the way through. He turned around and looked down at Eren frantically.

“Go with the others Jean.” Eren told him, smiling at the teen like he had Connie. “I’ll figure another way out.”

“Eren-“

“Sitting there looking at me isn’t going to solve anything horseface. Now go help Levi. Connie and the girls are going to be terrified. Don’t let them do anything stupid.” Eren could feel the heat and knew the flames weren’t slowing down. He crumpled the blanket and tossed it to Jean. “Go on, I’ll be out soon.” He repeated.

\----------

Levi held onto the girls hands wrapping them as tightly in the blanket as he could as he pulled them away from the house. They’d tried to go to the back door to meet Jean and Connie when Levi saw the large flames taking down the back porch. He’d moved the girls down Eren’s driveway, worried some of the flames may hit the car sitting there. He was torn what to do. Sasha and Mikasa were terrified, Sasha holding onto Heichou in the blanket tightly as the cat mewed, but he wanted to find Eren and the others. He exhaled in relief when he saw a very frightened and crying Connie running toward him. Levi met him in the snow, not caring about the cold as Connie shook in his arms. He knew this had to be worse on him, after the last fire he’d been though. He looked him over, only finding a few cuts but no burn marks.

“Jean and Eren, they’re still stuck down there.” Connie said crying into Levi’s chest. “I don’t think they’ll fit.” Levi managed to get out of Connie’s strangled sobs how he’d made it out of the basement. As he was finishing Levi saw Jean running towards them. He had more cuts than Connie did.

“Eren?” Levi asked looking at the teen as he put a blanket over himself and pulled Connie near him. Jean shook his head, tears streaming down his face. “Jean, stay with them. Please.” He tried to go the direction Jean and Connie came, but Mikasa and Connie each grabbed onto him. He looked down at them and how scared they looked and then at the house. He understood it, these kids had all experienced their parents dying, and now Levi was running toward the danger. But he couldn’t just leave Eren. He looked down the street impatiently. Where the hell was the fire department? He’d called them while he was getting the girls out of the house before they even knew the extent of the fire. He looked back at the house feeling completely helpless.

\------------

Eren jumped down and looked around. There wasn’t a larger window than the one the boys had escaped from down here. He turned on the faucet and pulled out clothes from the wash that hadn’t made it to the dryer yet luckily for him. He put a wet long sleeve shirt over top his tee and quickly changed his pants to a wet pair of jeans. He put on several pairs of wet socks, glad again that Levi hadn’t been around to separate his clothes better. He grabbed two towels out of the dryer and tossed them into the sink letting them soak so he could wrap them around his head. Luckily down here he didn’t need to worry about the smoke yet. He looked up the stairs and saw the flames, but they didn’t seem as strong as before.

“I’m not dying in a fucking basement.” He said to himself as he put the towels over his head and made the plan of escape in his head, mapping out where he thought he’d go. The back door while closer, would be harder to get out. He’d also increase the amount of oxygen making the flames go stronger. His best bet would be to go through the kitchen, depending on how bad it was there. There was also a window he’d be able to jump through if he had to. “Come on Jaegar.” He said to himself gearing up to do this. He covered as much skin as he could, leaving only a small pocket to look through and ran up the stairs. He cried out when his feet touched the flames but kept running, he rounded the corner through the kitchen and threw open the front door seeing the kids gripping onto Levi. He threw off the towels off and kept running sighing as his feet hit the snow. He ran to Levi and the others who all rushed to meet him and they all engulfed him in a hug.

Eren heard the sound of sirens down the street and slumped a little more, starting to shake from the cold and his wet clothes. He’d gone from one extreme temperature to another. “About fucking time.” Levi muttered looking toward the street as the fire department finally arrived. Eren sat in the snow looking up at his home as Jean wrapped a blanket tightly around him. He heard meowing and saw Sasha was still holding onto Heichou He reached over and scratched under his chin. He looked over to Connie and saw the kid was an absolute mess, even with Jean and Levi trying to comfort him. Eren watched as the firefighters fought the flames and paramedics arrived taking all of them to be checked over. He and the boys were the worst, covered in cuts from the glass and Eren had some burns. He’d take it over what could have happened. The paramedics split them into 2 groups and took them to the hospital. Eren was with Jean and Sasha, who still clutched the cat like it was a lifeline. Jean looked almost as though he’d aged in the short time. Eren grabbed his hand and squeezed it. Jean looked up at him before leaning in and resting his shoulder on Eren, tears falling on Eren’s wet clothing.

“It’s ok kid. You did good.” Eren whispered soothingly rubbing Jean’s back as he gripped onto Eren’s shirt.

“You could have died. I left you and you could have died.” Jean said

“You did exactly what you had to do.” Eren said turning his head up so he could look at him. “There wasn’t anything else you could have done anyways. No one could have, so don’t think about that either. And yeah, I could have died, but I could have died a lot of times over. I could die tomorrow from being hit by a bus. Point is, it’s not your responsibility. You’re still a kid. Whether you act like one or not, you’re still a kid.” He rubbed Jean’s back. “Come on, horses don’t cry this much.”

“You’re such an ass.” Jean chuckled into Eren’s shoulder. Eren smiled. At least he could still make the teen laugh.

When they arrived at the emergency room, everyone was checked over. Luckily, they hadn’t suffered from too much smoke inhalation, and even Eren’s burns weren’t that bad. The doctor who came in told him it was because of Eren’s fast actions. He probably would have been ok in the house since the firefighters arrived shortly after he’d gotten out, but it would have been terrible for his psyche to be stuck in that basement while the firefighters fought the flames. He was stitched and bandaged up, told to follow up with his doctor in a week to get the stitches removed and was given instructions on his burns, including what to do if they appeared to be infected. He wasn’t surprised when he saw Armin and the others sitting out in the waiting room. Either Levi had called, or Annie or Reiner had heard about it from the police station. Bert was sitting between the girls, looking Heichou over as they watched anxiously. Armin pulled him into a tight hug when he saw him walking.

“Will you stop doing this to us?” Armin said into Eren’s chest. “Fucking psycho.”

“Hey, it wasn’t on purpose this time.” Eren said patting the blonde on the head. He looked over at Annie. “Think I’d be allowed to go back? See how bad the damage was?”

Annie shook her head. “Last I heard, the flames were out, but they’re still investigating. Maybe in the morning.” She patted Mikasa on the head. “Let’s get everyone home for now. They look like they need some rest. It’s been a hard night for them.”

“All of the things everyone just got us.” Sasha said looking at the ground. “All that wasted money.”

“Hey kiddo, don’t worry about it.” Reiner said kneeling in front of Sasha. “Everyone’s safe. That’s all that matters. The rest can be replaced.” He looked back at Eren. “You did have insurance, right?”

Eren rolled his eyes. “Yes. You really think Erwin would let me buy a house without it? I’ll call them when they open today.”

“I’m assuming you’ll stay at Levi’s for the time being?” Armin asked.

“Yeah, I can always get a room at the hotel too, so I don’t overstay my welcome.” He smiled over at Levi who had been quiet throughout the whole thing. “Come on, lets get out of here. I’m sick of always being in a hospital.”

“We were going to call Hange and Erwin.” Annie said as the group walked to the cars. “But I didn’t want to get Hange worked up.”

“I think the best bet would be for one of us to tell her in person. That way she can see everyone’s ok. I can go once I’m done at the house.”

“I’ll message her to come over for breakfast.” Levi said speaking for the first time. He got into the back seat of Bert’s car with Mikasa and Connie joining him again while Reiner sat in the front seat. Annie let Eren sit in the front and sat with Jean and Sasha in the back, trying to distract Sasha. Jean was quiet, resting his head against the pane.

“Eren, can we sleep with Levi tonight?” Sasha asked quietly.

“Yeah, of course. I’ll sleep on the couch.” Eren said smiling back at her. “Whatever makes you comfortable.”

“I hope Mikasa doesn’t start having her nightmares again.” Sasha said looking over at Jean.

“I’m more worried about Connie at the moment.” Jean replied, not turning to look at her. “Be extra nice to him ok?”

“Ok.” Sasha nodded petting Heichou. Eren would have to give that damn cat all of the treats in the world for waking him up. When they pulled into Levi’s duplex. Annie and Armin offered to come inside and make sure everyone was ok. Reiner and Bert pulled in next and Reiner carried Connie while Levi held onto Mikasa. Eren told Levi what Sasha had asked and he nodded, saying Connie didn’t want to leave him either.

“Go be a good father figure love.” Eren said, giving him a kiss on the forehead. “I’ll see you in the morning.” Levi gave him a sad apologetic look and took Mikasa upstairs. Eren sat on the couch next to Armin who insisted on looking at the bandages. Annie looked up the steps when Reiner came down giving her a thumbs up.

“So, the cops we talked to are saying they think it’s arson.” Annie said quietly. “You’re not going to be allowed in while they’re considering it a crime scene and I’m not sure if Reiner and I would even be allowed to look at it since it isn’t our case.”

“I told you you shouldn’t have let that idiot in.” Reiner said glaring at Eren. He looked at Reiner confused. “It’s not obvious? Your brother suddenly shows up, and then your house suddenly catches on fire?”

“Zeke wouldn’t have done it.” Eren disagreed leaning against the armrest with his head in his hand.

“No, but he could have told daddy dearest where you lived.” Reiner argued, his face reddening and his voice going up an octave that Bert needed to remind him to keep it down.

“He wouldn’t have needed to come over to do that. Zeke already knew where I lived.”

“Why the hell are you defending that piece of shit all of a sudden?”

“Because he did me a favor, and he’s not dad, just as much as I’m not.” Eren said glaring at Reiner. “He hasn’t done anything wrong, and we’re over the petty bullshit.”

“Reiner calm down. I agree with Eren.” Armin said trying to be the voice of reason. “If Zeke wanted to do anything, he wouldn’t have come over and let us all see him.”

“Your father is still a good possibility though.” Annie said. “He has the motive, even if this isn’t particularly his M.O. We’ve seen he’s willing to break his probation to find you.” She crossed her legs and folded her hands in contemplation. “There’s also the possibility you were just unlucky. There’s been several arson cases in town, although never in that neighborhood yet. Hopefully the cops find something useful.”

“Well, no sense worrying about it tonight.” Eren said. “I’m just glad everyone got out safe. I feel terrible Levi and the kids were there when this happened. I’m really worried what this will do to them. And all this after Christmas.”

“Like Reiner told them, it’s all material things. We can replace them.” Armin said patting his hand before standing. “Let us know if you need anything, but try and get some rest too.”

“Yeah, thanks guys.” Eren said standing up and walking them all out. Once they left, Eren walked upstairs quietly to check on Levi and the others. He opened the kids rooms first, and was surprised when he didn’t see Jean in bed. He opened Levi’s room soundlessly and saw everyone curled in together on the bed. He smiled looking at the odd family before shutting the door softly and returning to the couch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think! Any theories on what happened?


	34. Chapter 34

“My poor babies!” Hange cried pulling Jean and Sasha into a hug since they were the closest to her. “Why didn’t any of you call me?” She glared first at Eren then at Levi, who was finishing up everyone’s bowls. He hadn’t wanted to do anything elaborate for breakfast this morning, considering everyone was still processing last night.

“Hange, we didn’t want to give you any added stress.” Eren said trying to calm her down. “You’re not supposed to be getting worked up.”

“I’m not worked up! I’m calm!” She gripped onto his shirt and yanked him down so he was eye level with her. “What if something had happened to you!? You could have died! What about the house? Is it salvageable? Oh my God, is my baby homeless now?”

“Hange stop. Please, you’ll frighten them. They’ve been through enough last night.” Eren turned and looked at the kids, Jean’s head was hung as he moved the oatmeal around in his bowl and Connie was crying again as Sasha scooted next to him, talking to him soothingly and rubbing his head. Rather than Mikasa waking up from nightmares, it had been Connie, screaming for his parents and then for Eren and Levi. It had taken awhile for Levi to calm him down and realize it was just a dream. He’d had to take him downstairs and show him Eren was indeed ok, sleeping on the couch and snoring from the position he was in. Jean seemed withdrawn too, but hadn’t been willing to talk to Levi about it when he’d asked. Hange seemed to realize their state and let go of Eren her face softening.

“I’m sorry my little ducklings. It must have been terrible for you. Don’t worry, Auntie Hange is here now.” She cooed, taking a seat next to Connie and pulling him so he was resting his head on her while he cried. More calmly she looked up at Eren. “What about the house?”

“I don’t know yet. They won’t let me in.”

“Well, don’t go alone when they do. What do you need in the meantime?”

Eren shrugged taking the bowl Levi handed him and both of them sitting down together. “I have some clothes here, but not much for work. I’ll go and get some things later today. Will you be able to take Heichou again?”

“Of course darling. I’m glad he’s safe. I still have some of his things at my place, which will work out nicely. We’ll need to go get your cars to0. Do you even have keys to them right now?”

Eren nodded. “Erwin has my spare sets. After locking myself out so many times when I was younger it’s still a force of habit to give them to him. I’ll need a room at the hotel too.”

Levi looked at him. “You’re not going to stay here now?” He realized Eren had to sleep on the couch last night but that wouldn’t be an every night occurrence. Even if the kids wanted to sleep with Levi, Eren could stay in Jean’s bed. “You can stay as long as you need to, you know that.” He hadn’t wanted to push Eren away last night, but Eren had insisted Levi take care of the kids. He still hadn’t had a chance to talk to Eren alone either and was concerned with what was going on in his head.

Eren pushed the oatmeal around. “Yeah, I’ll still stay like I usually do, but I don’t want to become a bother. Not if it’s going to take some time to get the house repaired.”

“I’ll give you a room key in case you decide you want it, but I think it’s best for everyone if you stay here for a bit. Do you have enough stuff for today?”

“Yeah. I’ll be able to make do. I don’t have any houses to show today because of the holidays.”

“Ok. We’ll make a list later and get the cars later.” Hange said matter of factly. “I think today everyone needs to relax, stay in their jammies and just binge watch some tv. I’ll send Erwin for some comfort foods ok? How’s that sound? She asked Connie, lifting his head up so he’d look at her. He nodded and nestled in closer.

“I’m going to get ready for work.” Jean said getting up and leaving the table. Levi looked up at him as he slid his bowl over to Sasha.

“I don’t remember you saying you worked today.”

“Picked up a shift. I don’t want to think about any of it.” Jean stated leaving before Levi could say anything more. Levi looked to Eren hopelessly.

“He’ll be fine. Just give him some time.” Eren assured him. “I’ll talk to you about it later.” He said more quietly and Levi nodded. The rest of the breakfast was spent mostly in silence. Hange had managed to persuade Connie to eat, but even Sasha hadn’t finished her bowl of food. Mikasa had returned to her silent state. Hange offered to take Jean to work when he came down, but he refused saying he wanted to walk and Marco would bring him home later. Levi warned him to be careful before the teen shut the door, more forcefully than was necessary.

Rather than watch movies, Eren suggested some board games, digging through the pile and choosing a game they could all play. They decided to play in teams since there weren’t enough pieces. Connie was with Hange, Eren had Sasha and Levi played with Mikasa.

“I think the Ackermans are cheating.” Hange muttered as their piece needed to move back 8 pieces. “No one is that good or that lucky at this game.”

“Sorry, not sorry.” Levi said with a smirk, as they took their turn. He rolled the dice and let Mikasa move the piece having her count the spaces as she went.

The game had become ruthless after awhile, breaking the tension that was building in the room. It was all in jest and Levi glanced over at Eren who smiled broadly at him. He’d known exactly what he was doing choosing this instead of a movie.

Lunch rolled around and Erwin showed up with some takeout. The kids were in higher spirits now and looked through the bags to see what he brought. Eren excused himself walking upstairs while taking a call. After lunch, Hange Erwin and Eren left to pick up the cars and Levi sat with the kids while they watched a movie. Nothing was said about the gifts that they’d possibly lost in Eren’s home. Eren was the only one to come back in, saying Hange and Erwin decided to go home since Hange wasn’t feeling well. He sat in front of Levi on the floor rather than disturb everyone, but when the kids had fallen asleep, Levi tapped him with his foot, mouthing to go upstairs. Eren nodded and got up fluidly cracking his back when he stood. Levi gently moved Mikasa and Connie from his lap and followed Eren to Levi’s room. Eren placed the keys to his old car on the table.

“At least the car is still ok and you got one of your gifts. I’m really sorry everything else is gone.”

“I’m just glad you and the kids are safe. I don’t care about the rest right now. I said we didn’t need any of it anyways.” Levi took a seat next to Eren reaching for his hand. “How are you? We haven’t had any time to talk yet.”

“Eh, I’m ok. I don’t really get too sentimental about material things. Might be another story when I’m there, but for now I’m fine. Insurance company is sending people as soon as the cops let them to take pictures and clean up the damages.” He flopped back on the bed and looked at the ceiling. “This is not how I wanted everything to go, especially with Christmas and your birthday.”

“I don’t think there’s ever a good time for something like this.” Levi leaned over Eren brushing out his hair. He’d left it down after his shower in the morning. “You still made it the best Christmas and birthday I’ve had.”

“Certainly a very memorable one. Hey you remember when the house burned down Christmas night? Good times. Jean’s ass almost stopped him from getting out the window.”

Levi lied next to Eren placing his head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat, thinking about how he could have lost that heartbeat so easily. He wrapped his arm around Eren while the other continued to play with his hair. Eren started tracing on his back like he usually did. Levi had intended to talk to him more, but wanted this instead. “I’m sorry you had to sleep on the couch.”

“It’s fine. I understand. They needed you more than I did. This is nice though.” He sighed. “I think I should stay at the hotel tonight. You should call Petra, let her know what happened, before she finds out another way.”

“I don’t like the idea of you being alone. I feel like this hasn’t hit you yet.”

“Maybe.” Eren agreed. “But if that’s the case, I can always come back, or go to Hange. The advantage to the hotel is she’s never far away.” He moved Levi so he could kiss him. “I’ll be ok, and it’s probably best that I’m not here to distract anyone. Just spend some time loving on the kids.”

“I don’t like it.” Levi said biting his bottom lip. He felt a sense of foreboding, like there was more going on in Eren’s head that he wanted to let on, or that something even worse was still coming. Eren gave him his megawatt smiled and kissed his worries away for now. 

\-------

“What the fuck Petra?” Levi slammed the table furiously as the woman sat across from the table. “It wasn’t anyone’s fault. That’s what an accident is called, and if it hadn’t been for _Eren_ the kids and I would have been worse off.”

“I understand, and I’m really glad everyone made it out safe, but being with him has become a health hazard for the children.” Petra argued using her hand to tick off her reasons. “He’s had 2 encounters with his father, the last one while the children were present, and the house burned because of an arson case.” She cringed back from Levi’s hateful glare but continued. “It wasn’t just an accident, and whoever did it may try again. What if they come here this time? Or to the school? It’s just not safe.”

“Eren and I won’t let anything happen to them. He fucking risked his life so they all got out safely.” Tears were starting to form. It wasn’t fair. He shouldn’t have to choose. “He’s helped take care of them. They love him just as much as I do. He got me out of the damn brothel for fucks sake.” He blurted smacking his hand over his mouth before he continued. Eren’s role in that night would certainly not help this argument.

“Levi, I’m not saying you need to stop seeing him or anything like that. I’m saying he shouldn’t be around the children, or come here”

“That’s basically saying I can’t see him.” Levi muttered clenching his fist tightly. “Other than when I’m working I’m always with the kids.”

“I’m sorry, at least while the investigation is going on, we can try to revisit it after the case is closed.” Petra tried to reason. “But if this continues like it is I’m going to have to recommend they be taken from your custody again. I know you care about him, but the children’s safety should be your top priority.”

Jean walked in from work toeing off his shoes and wiping off the snow before stepping beyond the welcome mat. He looked over at Levi and Petra and must have realized the tension between them. “What happened?” He asked looking at Levi. “Where are the others?”

“They’re upstairs.” Levi said, not taking his eyes of Petra.

“You should go check on them Jean.” Petra said giving him a fake smile. Marco followed in behind him shaking the snow out of his hair and smiling until he looked at Jean’s face.

“No, I know that face. What the fuck do you think Levi did now to get us taken away this time?” Jean growled.

“It’s not me this time, just who I decided to date.” Levi said and Jean’s eyebrows shot up. “Seems Petra and the office feel that he’s somehow responsible for the fire, and we put you all in danger.”

“What?!” Jean stormed over and Marco had to hold onto him or else he might have hit Petra. “You know he ran through the fucking fire to get to Connie and I?” Angry tears were forming, and he shook furiously. “He kept his cool and got Connie and I out.” Jean slammed his chest as tears began to fall. “I had to leave him! I thought I was leaving him to die! And do you know what that idiot did? He just smiled at me and he told me to go to Levi and the others because they’d be scared. He could have died, and that would have been the last thing he said, worrying about us instead of himself. Fuck you! Fuck your system!” He pushed Marco off and marched back out the door, grabbing his shoes instead of putting them on inside. Levi cringed when the door slammed shut

“Marco, can you go after him?” Levi pleaded. “Get him to calm down. He may listen to you more than me right now.” Marco seemed at a complete loss. He nodded and promised to text Levi later chasing after Jean. It remained quiet in the room for some time, neither one of them speaking.

“I’m going to recommend they all get some counseling after this. Obviously, they’re all dealing with the fire in a different way.” Petra said standing. “However, the decision remains the same. Eren can’t be around them until further notice. I’m really sorry Levi. I’ll see myself out.” Petra walked to the door, putting on her shoes and coat while Levi remained frozen in his spot. He wanted to punch her, and he’d never wanted to hit a girl before. He waited until she was gone to go to the stairwell, wanting to check on the kids. All three of them were sitting at the top, obviously eavesdropping. They looked at him anxiously.

“How long have you been listening?” He asked, looking at Sasha who seemed to be the only one not crying at the moment.

“We- we heard yelling.” Sasha said moving in front of the others and rubbing her hands nervously while she spoke to him. “So we decided to listen. You don’t yell often. Then Jean was yelling too-“

“Will we really not be able to see Eren anymore?” Connie asked, wiping at his eyes. Seeing how upset they were Levi agreed with Jean’s sentiment foolheartedly. Fuck the system. He could only nod, wanting to cry himself.

“May-Maybe if we talk to Petra.” Sasha offered. “Maybe Erwin can talk to them. Maybe we can explain that Eren takes care of us, like when we were all sick, and all the Christmas presents.” She was crying now as she tried to think it through in her young mind.

“Come on guys, don’t get yourselves worked up.” Levi climbed up the steps and hugged them until they all leaned into him. “It’s only for a little while.” _Hopefully_ he thought. “And when he is allowed back we’ll throw him a big party.”

“Does this mean we can’t see Hange or Armin and Annie too?”

“No. It’s just Eren. But she said he can’t be here, that doesn’t mean you can’t talk to him on the phone or we can video chat with him. Think of it like Eren’s on a vacation.”

“But where will Eren stay?” Mikasa asked, looking up. “He was going to stay with us.”

“He was getting the hotel room at Hange’s, remember?” Levi rubbed her head.

“But he’ll be lonely.” Of that Levi had no doubt. He worried about his boyfriend, thinking the damn just hadn’t burst yet. He needed to talk to him, and make sure he was near Hange or Erwin when he did so. For now, he needed to calm these three down, and then message Marco to see if Jean had calmed down enough to come home. He persuaded everyone to come to the couch and they sat close to him with Mikasa on his lap. Levi grabbed tissues before he sat down, wiping at each of their eyes and having them blow their noses, but knowing it was pointless. They’d all been a crying mess since the fire, and this news was just another nail in the coffin.

\---------

Eren sat in Hange’s living room playing with Heichou while he and Hange waited for Erwin to come back with food. Hange had been craving some crazy ass pizza combination and practically went demonic when Erwin suggested she eat something healthier or at least more sensible. After that Erwin had left, deciding it best to just get the pregnant woman what she wanted. She seemed to be in a more reasonable mood once she realized she was getting what she wanted, but Eren knew better than to cross her in this state. Eren heard a pounding at the door and hurried to get it, thinking Erwin was struggling to open it with the pizzas his crazy girlfriend had demanded. He was surprised when he saw a very upset looking Jean and a frazzled looking Marco.

“Hey guys, what’s up?” Eren asked stepping out of the way so they could come in. Jean surprised him by pulling him into a tight hug and it frightened him. “What happened? Everyone ok?” He looked back at his phone sitting on the couch while he pulled Jean in and petting his hair softly. Jean was crying into his shoulder and Hange stood up looking as nervous as Eren felt.

“Um, the child services lady was at the house, talking to Levi when we stopped after work.” Marco tried to fill in since Jean didn’t seem able or willing to talk. “She and Levi were arguing, um, about you.”

“Stupid bitch doesn’t want you around us.” Jean muttered gripping the back of Eren’s shirt. “Like you’re some fucking criminal or something.” He sniffled loudly. “I had foster parents abuse, starve, and neglect me, but oh worry about the person who fucking saved our lives.” He started to hyperventilate.

“Hey, calm down. Look at me.” Eren pulled Jean’s face up recognizing the signs of a panic attack from his own. “Breathe with me.” He started to pull Jean toward the couch breathing slowly and making sure Jean was doing the same while motioning Marco to follow. “That’s good, just keep doing that.” Eren said landing on the couch without even looking at it, his eyes never leaving the teen falling apart. Hange hurried and grabbed tissues and some water, quietly telling Marco he could have a seat. Jean’s breathing went to normal and Eren handed him a tissue, even though Jean had wiped most of his tears (and snot) on Eren’s shirt. This was the least of his concerns while he watched the teen.

“See. This is what I mean. I’m telling you you’re not allowed to see Levi for who knows how long, and you’re just worried about me.” Jean blew his nose harshly and wiped his eyes.

“Well, one problem at a time.” Eren said soothingly, brushing Jean’s hair and avoiding horse jokes for once.

“Why can’t Eren be around any of you?” Hange asked sitting on the other side of Jean and rubbing his back.

“She’s blaming you for the fire. Like you started it or something. Says you endangered us or some stupid shit.”

Eren bit his lower lip. He’d felt the same way since the fire. It was part of his reasoning for insisting on getting the hotel room. He knew Levi and the children didn’t feel the same way, but he couldn’t help but think that they shouldn’t have been there that night. He blamed himself too once he found out it was arson. What if it was his father who had done it? He knew he wasn’t mentally stable and was free, yet he’d chosen to let the kids where his father could get them. Hundreds of what if scenarios had run through his head since the fire. It seemed he and Petra were of a like mind, but he wasn’t going to tell Jean that, not when he was like this.

“That’s ridiculous. I’m calling Mike.” Hange stood up and reached for her phone walking to her bedroom. Eren continued to soothe the teen only for him to get riled up again when Erwin came in and he told him the story too. Erwin stood dumbfounded and asked if Levi was losing custody again.

“I-I didn’t stick around.” He gripped Eren’s shirt again. “I’m not going back to another foster home. I’ll run this time. I’ll make Connie watch over the girls. I’m not doing it again.”

“Shh, don’t get worked up again. You’re getting close to the cut off. You could fight for emancipation if that were the case, but that’s not going to happen. Sounds like Levi just needs to stay away from me.” He put on a smile for Jean. “He’s probably sick of being around me all the time anyways. I’m sure he could use a breather.” He thought of the week he’d been away from Levi before Christmas while he’d tried to make everything perfect for him and the kids, and how much even that short time had hurt the two of them. He tried not to think about it while Jean was here. He’d have his own mental breakdown once he was in his hotel room for the night, which seemed it would be his permanent home until repairs were done. He’d have to arrange to get his things from Levi’s since they were all he had right now.

“Mike said he’d look into it, but you need to do what she says for now.” She looked endearingly at Jean. “Which means sweetie, that you should probably go home.”

“No, I don’t want to. I’m tired of Levi rolling over like a dog when it comes to her. Stupid asshole.”

“Hey.” Eren gripped Jeans chin and turned his head toward him. “I understand you’re upset, but don’t say bad things about Levi. He’s doing what he needs to to keep his family. I wouldn’t expect any less. When it comes to me or you, there is no competition. There never should be.” He stared at Jean until the anger left the teens face, filled with sorrow again and remorse.

Jean nodded. “I know it’s not his fault, not really. It’s just not fair.”

“Life’s not fair kiddo. I’ll talk to Levi soon and find out exactly what Petra said and what the limitations are. Then I’ll still be around as much as I’m allowed to be. Don’t give him a hard time while I’m away, though will you? This is going to be hard on him too, but he’s going to be hiding it. Think about how you’d feel if you weren’t allowed to see Marco all of a sudden.”

“I’d stab someone. Give them a reason to not let me see him.” Jean muttered.

“No stabbing.” Eren patted his head earning a glare which was better than the pathetic look he had. “Why don’t you both stay for pizza and then be on your way?”

“You may just want to leave.” Erwin said as they made their way to the kitchen looking into the boxes. Jean slammed the one gagging. “Hange picked some odd choices.”

“Nonsense.” Hange said lifting the box lid that Jean had just shut and pulled out two slices before sitting next to Eren. He had to fight not to clamp his nose shut. He discretely text Levi letting him know Jean and Marco were here in case he was looking for them. When Levi called, he walked back toward Hange’s room and shut the door.

 _Is he ok?_ Levi asked first. _He left really upset._

“He’s ok as can be expected, I guess. I got him calmed down for now.”

_I’m assuming he told you then._

“What he was able to. I hear I’m not allowed around the kids anymore.”

 _I argued with her about it. It’s bullshit._ Levi filled in the gaps from Jean’s story and Eren slumped down the door trying not to feel like he was losing everything. Just like he told Jean, this wasn’t over. Levi was telling him about ways he wanted to try to get around it like doing video calls more often. _I tried to spin it like you were on a vacation, but then they were worried about you being in the hotel alone._

“I’ll be fine. I was alone forever before we started dating. Not that I’m that happy about doing it again but I’ll manage. I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.”

_No, it’s not. Like I told her it was an accident. It’s not like you asked the arsonist to catch the house on fire or you caused it, like the brothel._

“Hehe. Karma got me back, I guess. Anyways, make sure they know I’m not alone. I’ll probably spend most of my time with Hange, and I’ll get to see you when you work at the hotel.” Eren smiled at that. “Maybe my room will need some extra cleaning.”

 _I hadn’t thought about that. Yeah. This will be ok._ It seemed like Levi was trying to reassure himself too and Eren already wished he could go over and hug him. This was going to be difficult. He said his goodbyes and told Levi he loved him before coming back out. Erwin had at least bought one pizza that was normal, albeit there was only 1 piece left. Hange’s monstrosity was also almost eaten and he looked over at the pregnant woman who was devouring 2 slices at once. He sent the boys home after they ate, hugging Jean tightly since it seemed the teen needed it. He told him to take care of Levi, but to also take care of himself. Jean nodded, promising to do so. Eren reminded him he was just a call away if he needed something and this seemed to brighten him up slightly. He pulled Marco aside and asked him to watch out for Jean. He worried Eren and reminded him of when he was younger and did stupid shit. Marco said he’d keep in touch too and let him know if there was anything going on. He handed Marco some cash, telling him to use it for a date soon then sent them off before it got too late.

“Are you ok with all of this?” Hange asked looking at him with concern. He shoved himself between her and Erwin, wanting both of them right now like he had when he was a teenager. Hange laid her head on his shoulder and Erwin rubbed his back.

“I’ll be good. I’ll let you know if that starts to change though.” Eren promised. He didn’t feel like getting into an argument with them if he told them he thought the same as Petra. “Can you pick up my stuff from Levi’s tomorrow?” He hated even saying it, making it sound like a breakup.

“Of course. Anything you need.” Erwin said. He stayed there between them while they watched a movie. Hange finishing up her pizza. Normally Eren would have been proud of her for such a feat. He said good night and walked down the hall to his hotel room. It was small with just a king size bed. The room felt huge to him though and made him feel lonely. He’d have to steal extra pillows tomorrow so he could cuddle with them. He went to bed dreaming of happier times and hoping he didn’t lose the family who’d become so important to him.

\---------

Someone was pounding on Eren’s hotel room door. He woke up groggily and checked the time. It was 2 am. He hurried to answer the door as it didn’t seem like it was going to stop soon. He flung it open once he saw it was Hange and she was clutching her belly.

“There’s something wrong. I know there’s something wrong and Erwin’s not answering. Damn heavy sleeper.”

“Fuck Hange.” He looked at her as she breathed heavily and had more fear in her eyes than when she’d found him. He didn’t bother changing, just grabbed his keys and phone and led her to the car. She leaned on him heavily and he picked her up.

“It’s ok. You and the baby are going to be fine.” He promised her as she started crying. “It’s going to be fine.” He carried her to the car and put her in the front seat, getting the seatbelt around her before running to his side. He was getting sick of seeing this hospital he decided as he helped her get out of the car. She walked with him towards the entrance, since he’d parked as close to the building as possible. Let them tow his car for being in a handicap spot. It would just be icing on the cake at this point. The receptionist stood when she saw them coming in, bringing him a wheelchair for her to sit in while he and Hange explained what was going on. It was a quiet night in the emergency room at least, so they were brought back immediately, and a nurse came in to get Hange’s vitals. Eren stepped out while Hange changed into a gown, taking the time to try and call Erwin.

“Come on Eyebrows.” Eren said when he didn’t answer the first time and he called back and tried again. He didn’t want to leave him a message. Hange yelled for him and he came back, letting her hold his hand tightly while the lady put her on monitors.

“I’m going to lose the baby. I know it.” Hange was a mess, in a way Eren had never seen her before.

“We don’t know that yet.” Eren tried to reason, taking a seat on the bed and looking at her. She hadn’t put on her glasses when she’d come to his room, and her hair was still down. She looked younger like this, and very vulnerable right now. He kissed her forehead, telling her it was going to be ok, because he knew this would break her if it wasn’t. A doctor came in and inspected her, asking her questions about how far along she was and when she told him about the previous miscarriage, he asked how far she had been then. Eren remained quiet while she was examined, keeping a hold of her hand, not that she’d let him leave anyways. She had a death grip on it, reminding him that Hange was much stronger than she appeared. He looked anywhere but where the doctor was as he examined her, having no desire to see that much of Hange. The doctor left and returned a short while later with a portable ultrasound machine Eren looked at the screen with interest as the fetus appeared. Eren could make out the baby’s features, including its little hands and toes. Hange was staring it in awe.

“The baby is in some distress, but nothing that’s not manageable. Your blood pressure is up, but whether that’s because of your state of mind or an underlying problem is to be determined. We’re waiting on blood results too that may give us an idea of what’s going on.” The doctor took off his gloves and tossed them into the bin. “It’s not uncommon to have some abdominal pain in this stage of the pregnancy, especially if there’s any added stress. Sometimes, it could just be what you ate last.”

“She did eat some weird pizza last night.” Eren said. Hange looked up at him like he’d betrayed her.

“That might do it. Pizza can give people heartburn normally, compound that with a difficult pregnancy and a combination of toppings and it could seem like something more serious. I’ll come back to check on you once the test results are back.” When he left Eren took a seat again giving Hange a smile.

“See. It’s ok. Just your weird eating habits.” He reassured.

“Did you see it? Did you see my baby?”

“I did. It’s pretty tiny right now. What do you want? A boy or a girl?”

“Oh, I don’t care either way. Just a happy healthy baby.” She smiled, relaxing now that she knew there was no imminent danger. “I didn’t really want to think about it much, worried I’d lose it and it would hurt that much more, but now I saw it.”

“Well as long as whatever it is doesn’t get Erwin’s eyebrows, I think it will be fine.” Hange smacked him and he laughed. They talked about baby things while they waited for the doctor to return. When he did, he explained the test results, including high glucose levels. He told her to follow up with her doctor in a few days so they could determine if this was going to continue during the pregnancy. The doctor ordered her to get more rest but gave her a list of exercises she’d be able to do. After he was done, she was discharged, and they were on their way back to the hotel when Erwin finally called as the sun rose.

“It’s about damn time.” Hange said picking up Eren’s phone. “Eren had to take me to the hospital because you weren’t answering. No, we’re on our way back now. False alarm this time. Eren got to see the baby before you did. Fine. I’ll see you there.” Hange hung up looking irritated and Eren reminded her not to get worked up. He pulled into a parking spot and walked with Hange back to her apartment. Yawning as he opened the door for her.

“I’m sorry baby. You must be exhausted after last night and now because of me.”

“It’s ok. Better to be safe than sorry. I don’t have anything going on today I can take a nap. You want me to stay here with you?”

“No Erwin’s on his way. Thank you for coming and keeping me calm, well calmer than I would have been.”

“Any time mama.” He said the name with affection kissing her on the cheek before returning to his room for much needed sleep.

\----------

It was the first time Eren had been allowed in since the fire. Erwin was standing next to him, a reassuring hand on his shoulder. The cops had gathered what evidence they could and Eren’s insurance had sent a cleanup crew to clear the damaged areas of the house. From the front, you wouldn’t even know there was any damage. He nodded to Erwin and walked to the front door, opening it slowly.

The house had a lingering smoke smell, the tops of the walls and the ceilings almost black, but the living room and the two bedrooms had been mostly undamaged. Eren made note to get the kids Christmas gifts out when he and Erwin left so he could take them to their place. His bathroom had some signs of fire damage. A wall would need replaced, but it looked like the tile had saved some of it. The glass doors and the mirror had shattered from the heat, but it appeared his precious tub had remained unscathed. The kitchen was the worst of it. He and Erwin walked through it carefully, looking at the fire damage above and throughout the room. The wall that used to lead to the back porch had been taken down by the clean up crew, replaced with temporary tarps that blew air through the home. Eren wondered how bad the smoke smell had been before if this is how it was with air filtering through constantly.

“Do you want to check the basement to0? I can look if you don’t want to go.”

“No, I can go.” Eren said. Making his way to what remained of the staircase. Temporary boards had been put in place to make the stairs safe. He and Erwin walked down cautiously. Other than by the stairs, it wasn’t so bad down here. The same black ceilings were by the stairs, but the room he and Erwin had made was still in good condition, probably the best in the house. It made him feel slightly better to know Connie and Jean would have been ok had he not been able to make it to them.

“Have you decided what you’re going to do yet?” Erwin asked as he looked around.

“Not really. Insurance said it was my choice, they’d pay the same amount if I chose to repair this one or buy a new one.”

“Lucky for you I happen to know this fantastic realtor.” Erwin joked. “I just signed closing papers on my new home.”

“Haha.” Eren smiled, glad he had finally found something for Erwin and Hange. He looked around the home. He’d never been that sentimental about it, caring more for certain parts of the home than others. Like his bathroom, and the pool mostly. Still if he wanted, he could have those things at another place. “I’ll call a few construction companies, get some estimates, and go from there. Definitely going to add anything fireproof that I can.” He tapped his chin. “Maybe I’ll add on to the house since they’ll be working on it.”

“It would add value to the house. Ask them for estimates for both, and then compare them to what’s on the market.”

“I think I’ll put a fence all around the property, with a gate for the cars. Just to be a little safer. Hopefully they find who it was soon.”

“You haven’t heard anything?”

“No, they’ve ruled out dad though. He has a solid alibi, but the alibi is Dina, so she would lie for him. Dad has always been more forward though. Like I could see him standing in the front laughing while we tried to get out or pushing me towards the fire, not this shady cloak and dagger stuff.”

“Maybe he hired someone to do it? He was in prison for some time. He would have met people while he was in there.”

“Maybe. Zeke’s off the hook too. He has cameras at his home, and he was able to show the footage to the police including time stamps. He recommended I get some when I get situated again, although they would have burned in the fire.”

“You’ve talked to him?”

“After the cops investigated him. I told him I didn’t think he was a suspect. He wasn’t too mad but wanted to make sure everyone was ok. He even offered for me to stay with him.” Eren shivered. “Come on, let’s see what we can salvage and get out of here. I’m freezing and it’s giving me the creeps being down here too long.”

He and Erwin packed up what they could and put it in Erwin’s truck. He dropped off Eren and helped him unload the things he was keeping before leaving to take the other things to Levi. Eren tossed the clothes he had gathered into the washing machines. He sat there playing with his phone and waiting when he got a phone call from the police department. He answered.

“Mr. Jaegar, we’ve discovered the arsonist.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ******Disclaimer- I honestly don’t know how CPS works so I’m sorry if this doesn’t seem realistic, but it’s meant to move the story on.******
> 
> Let me know what you think? Any more guesses who our arsonist might be?


	35. Chapter 35

Levi punched the bag in front of him harder than was necessary. He was frustrated and pictured Petra’s head there for a moment. The bag swung forward and then back at him, stopped by the large hands of Reiner who looked at him with concern.

“Easy there. You’re going to get hurt doing that. And where are your gloves?” Reiner asked looking at Levi’s knuckles which caused Levi to do the same. Reiner gave an exasperated sigh and ran a hand over his face. “I think the idiots starting to wear off on you.”

Annie moved herself between both men, grabbing Levi’s chin and looking at him intently. “You and Eren didn’t break up did you?” She asked, her icy glare softened with concern.

“No. Might as well have though.” Levi said angrily. He recounted the story from weeks ago, surprised Eren hadn’t said anything to them already.

“I’m not liking this woman.” Reiner said crossing his arms.

“So Eren’s not allowed to see the kids, doesn’t mean you can’t see him right?” Annie asked pulling out her gear and shoving gloves towards Levi. He put them on obediently.

“I almost feel guilty when I do, and Eren’s thrown himself at work to try and keep his mind off everything.”

“Explains why he was moody New Years Eve. Refused Armin flat when he called him. Said he was staying in with Hange this year.”

“We didn’t really think anything of it. I know he was really worried about her when she went to the hospital. He didn’t say anything about all this, not even to Armin.” Annie pulled Levi toward the mat. “Seems like you need to let off some steam. Let’s see what you’ve learned. Don’t hold back.”

Levi nodded and threw himself into the match with Annie watching her smile when she dodged a hit and landed him flat on his back. He threw himself back up again, like she had taught him. He hit the ground a second time and he heard Reiner snickering while he watched. Levi went for Annie again, this time getting a hold of her and he saw the look of surprise as she started to fall backwards. She hit the mat and immediately jumped back up laughing as she attacked him again. Levi got in another hit and Annie laughed harder before calling it. She clapped Levi on the back.

“You’re a natural at this. You could have really gone far if you started younger. Probably still could.” Annie said.

“And mess up that pretty face for Eren? No way. Don’t encourage him.” Reiner laughed and Levi sank to the ground feeling the exhaustion from his match with Annie. She sat down next to him and Reiner brought them both towels and water bottles before going to work out on his own.

“Jean’s taking it especially hard. He still feels guilty about the fire.”

“Why? He didn’t cause it.”

“He left Eren because he couldn’t fit through the window. Jean barely did too. Eren doesn’t blame him at all, but it really messed him up. I think not being able to see him is making it worse. I’m not sleeping because someone is always having a nightmare, or is laying in my bed. Connie’s nightmares are the worst. He’s reliving his own family’s fire along with Eren’s home. He’ll wake up screaming thinking we all died this time.”

Annie leaned back and looked at the bright ceiling above them. “I hope Eren’s not blaming himself too. If CPS is trying to put this on him he probably is, which is why he’s probably more distant. Fucking hate CPS. I’m sorry. I wish I could do more.” She looked back over at Levi. “We can take the kids for the weekend, and you can spend it with Eren, just go somewhere. She can’t say anything when they’ll be around 2 cops.”

“I’d love to do that, but I can’t leave them right now.” Levi held his head in his hands. “I feel like I had to choose, and I hate that feeling. I don’t want to have to choose.”

“I’ve known Eren for quite some time. I can promise you he doesn’t blame you for putting them first.” Annie said wrapping an arm around him. “Family is important to him. He knew what he was getting into when he started seeing you. If anything he’d be pissed if you weren’t handling it this way.”

“I’m still worried about him. He text or calls less and when he does, I can tell he’s just trying to seem happy for mine or the kids sakes.”

“He might be gearing up for what he thinks is going to happen. Eren has always suffered from self worth. After everything his father did to him it’s not really that surprising.” Annie sent a glare towards Reiner as he ran on the treadmill. “What that moron did to him didn’t make anything better. He’s probably thinking you’re going to leave him too, so he’s trying to make it easier for everyone because that’s what he does.”

Levi nodded taking a sip of his water. “You know this is a lot different from when you were threatening me.”

“Oh don’t think you’re off the hook. You ever hurt him I will be the first in line to kick your ass.” Annie smiled. “But I really don’t think I’ll ever need to.”

“I know what I have. Once this is all over and done with I’m not taking it for granted for a minute again. Then maybe I’ll take you up on that offer to watch the kids.”

They went their separate ways after that. Annie telling him to contact them if he needed more help. She went to join Reiner to finish her workout and Levi was finally feeling relaxed after their fight and their talk. He got some things done around the home while he waited to pick up the kids from school. They’d just returned from Christmas break. He drove to get them in what he still thought of as Eren’s car, missing him terribly. Jean said he’d ride with Marco and Levi took the others, picking up groceries for dinner before going home.

Connie had started to help in the kitchen more, even when Levi told him he could play if he wanted to. The boy just climbed onto his stool and asked what Levi wanted him to do. Jean and Marco had gone to the boys room to study while Sasha and Mikasa did their homework before finding something else to do. He told them to set up the table while he went to get the teens.

They were both laying on Jean’s bed, lying opposite ways. Jean was on his stomach with a book open in front of him, while Marco was laying on his back scrolling through his phone. Their hands were held in between them, lightly, barely brushing against one another. Marco had been the only thing that seemed to calm Jean down now, and he truly was a godsend in Levi’s eyes. He knocked lightly on the doorframe, Marco leaning his head back so he could look at him while still remaining in the same position and Jean lifting his head to look his way.

“Dinner’s ready.” Levi said

“Not hungry.” Jean replied looking back to his book. Marco frowned and squeezed his hand.

“You can bring it up here.” Levi said before turning. “Just don’t make a mess.” He heard Marco get up and talk to Jean quietly before Marco joined him.

“Thank you for letting us eat upstairs.” Marco spoke quietly with a calming smile as he made him and Jean bowls of soup. “I’m sorry he’s being stubborn still. Don’t take it personally.”

“I don’t. I know he’s just mad about the situation. Even if he were mad at me, I wouldn’t mind. Thank you, for being here for him.”

Marco looked at him. “You’re really not much older than me. I’m always amazed at everything you do. I know I wouldn’t have been able to do any of it. Jean knows that too.”

“Have you decided what you’re going to do when you graduate?”

“No, not yet. I think I’m going to stay here and go to a local college. I don’t really want to leave. Not just because of Jean, but he’s a part of it too. I like it here, and I don’t see any reason to go.” His voice became quiet and he pulled Levi farther away. “After seeing all of this, I think I want to help people. Like becoming a social worker, but I’m not sure how Jean would feel about it, or if I could make the decisions and keep my personal emotions out of it. So I thought maybe a counselor too.”

“Either way you would be good at it. You’re always very optimistic and people can’t help but be happy around you.” Marco blushed and smiled brightly at Levi’s words. “Don’t make a decision based on what Jean may or may not think. He’s suggested going into social work before too, wanting to make a difference in the system.”

“Really? I know he said he wants to foster kids someday.” Marco blushed again, this time turning much redder. “He asked me how I felt about kids. You know, in case we stay together.”

Levi smiled knowingly. He knew it was statistically against them that the two would remain together, but he also didn’t see them separating any time soon. Jean was far too stubborn, and Marco’s bright personality was able to brush off Jean’s gruffness. Like Eren could for him. “I wouldn’t worry about all of that just yet. I want Jean to live a little. He’s had to grow up too soon as it is.” Levi wanted Jean to get away when he graduated. He wanted him to experience college and live just for himself for once. He still had some time before he graduated, but Levi was secretly glad Marco wanted to stay nearby. He sent Marco off with the food before Jean missed him too much and joined the others at the table.

As it had been for weeks, the table was pretty silent while people ate. Sasha had seemed to have lost some of her love for food, having finished her plate but not asking for any seconds or trying to steal Connie’s uneaten half. He’d taken them all to see the therapist, even with the insurance he’d gotten them on, doing so had put a hefty dent in his savings. He struggled, even with the extra hours he’d picked up at the hotel and the cleaning company. It didn’t seem to be helping them much either. Mikasa barely spoke now. She was always near someone. Connie barely slept and had lost his excitement that he and Sasha seemed to have endless amounts of. Sasha had withdrawn, saddened by her best friends reactions. She’d refused when Krista had invited her to come over during the holiday break, not wanting to leave Connie or Mikasa.

Eren called as Levi was finishing cleaning up from dinner. He wiped his hands off before answering. “Hello.”

 _Hey love._ Levi relaxed hearing Eren’s voice. _Erwin and I went to see the house today. He’s coming over with the stuff from Christmas. Have them all try the electronics and see if they work. If not, we’ll get them replaced_. Eren’s voice got softer filled with disappointment. Your _tea set broke_.

“I’m not worried about a tea set Eren.” He promised. “It was beautiful and very thoughtful, but I’m much happier with what I do have.” He turned to make sure no one was nearby. “You could always make me another coupon book to make up for it.”

 _I can do that and find another tea set._ Eren said happily.

“How was it? Being at the house?”

 _Not as bad as I imagined. The bulk of the house has mostly smoke damage, but the fire was contained to just the kitchen, basement and bathroom. I meet with a couple contractors this week, get some estimates and decide what to do from there. I think I want to keep the property though, even if it ends up leveling the whole thing and rebuilding_.

“You’re just saying that because the pool is fine.”

Eren chuckled _Maybe_. _How are the kids today?_

“Same as they have been.” Levi said looking out the window to the back yard. “They miss you. I think it makes the whole thing worse. Connie wakes up from his nightmares and sees we’re all safe, but it takes some time to make him understand you’re still safe too. You want to talk to them?”

 _Of course._ Levi walked into the living room and handed the phone to Sasha first letting her know it was Eren. Her face lit up and she switched the phone to a video call with an ease Levi envied. He still wasn’t very good with the technology. He watched as Sasha came to sit with Mikasa who also smiled and leaned in toward the screen. He heard them talking, Eren asking about their day and if they were happy to be back at school or not. Connie took the phone from Sasha and spoke for them. He ran with the phone upstairs yelling for Jean. Levi took a seat on the couch, waiting for his phone to be returned to him. This was how his evenings were usually spent now. He heard a knock on the door and Erwin was there, holding out bags.

“Eren said you got some of the stuff. I wasn’t expecting it today.” Levi thanked Erwin and took what he had, putting on his shoes so he could help with the rest. Sasha ran over with more excitement than she’d had in ages.

“You’ll want to wash what you can.” Erwin said as Levi took the last of it out of Erwin’s truck. “Most of it still smells like smoke.”

“That’s fine.” Levi said seeing Sasha had already begun to sort through the bags. “Put the clothes to the side Sash.” She nodded to him continuing her task. “You want anything to eat? There’s food left over.” Levi offered Erwin.

“No. I’m going to check on Hange.”

“Tell her I said hi, and to come by again soon.” Hange had been absent almost as much as Eren, staying with him when he was free and rearranging the way the hotel was run. She’d given Levi, Rico, and Moblit some of her responsibilities and now just ran the hotel in the background. Levi had protested when he’d been included, complaining he didn’t even have a high school diploma. But Hange argued that it wouldn’t be long before he did, and Moblit and Rico had no objections to it.

“I will. She misses everyone.” Erwin said goodbye and Levi got the clothes in the wash. It was late when he finally got Eren back after the kids were done talking to him.

The next morning, the kids were in better spirits. Whether it had been the conversations they had with Eren or getting the things they had received for Christmas back or a combination of both, Levi wasn’t certain. They’d never been ones to care about items, but it was as though getting them back was a sign that things would get better again soon. He went to work at the hotel, stopping by to see Eren in person before Eren left to show some homes. He seemed to dread the encounter telling Levi the client was a single mother who seemed more interested in him than finding a home. Levi teased him for awhile, before leaving him to do his own job. After he finished cleaning the rooms with Rico, he joined Hange in her office while she went over the paperwork with him. Levi complained about her organization skills and Hange laughed.

“This is why I wanted you to do all of this. Oh and don’t be surprised when you see your raise on the next check. You should get compensated for doing more work.”

“Hange, I’m sure you can’t afford to give everyone raises.”

“Shush. I know how lucky I am to have you all working for me, and I’d like to keep it that way.” She smiled up at him. “Not to say you should ever turn down a better job just because it’s me, but I’m a firm believer in people being paid their worth. Now get over here and let me show you this.”

Levi left work feeling drained after seeing Hanji’s method of organization. He had a feeling this was the reason why Moblit was happy to let him take on that part of the job and why Rico wanted no part in it. He pulled into a spot at the school and waited for the kids to get out. Jean was working again tonight so he knew not to expect him. He was happy to see the kids remained in a good mood throughout school and was walking back with them to the car when he heard his name called. He turned, thinking it was one of the teachers or Erwin and at first he didn’t recognize the man approaching. He’d seen him only once after all, and hadn’t got a good look at him then. He felt Mikasa shaking and Sasha muttered ‘the mean man’ and he remembered. Eren’s father.

“Levi Ackerman.” Grisha came forward and Levi pushed the kids behind him. “I’ve heard all about you.”

“What the hell are you doing here?” Levi asked looking around. “Your sons are a bit old to be attending school.”

“Yes, my son is all grown up, the other one I question if he’s even mine. I wonder if Carla wasn’t as faithful as I once believed. He doesn’t seem to be much of a son of mine.”

“Well I’m sure Eren will take that as a compliment.” Levi turned to leave, pushing the three children to the car. Sasha gasped when Grisha’s hand slammed near Levi’s head as he opened the door for them. “Get in.” He encouraged them, handing Connie his phone before dealing with Grisha. He stood there, masking his face as he turned to glare at the taller man. He saw little of Eren in him, only the eyes were similar, and they didn’t have Eren’s mirth. A much colder darker version of Eren’s. Even Eren’s longer hair didn’t seem the same as the man in front of him.

“You have 10 seconds to get your hands off of my car.” Levi said crossing his arms in front of him.

“Your car? My son gave you this piece of shit?” Grisha laughed cruelly. “What did he make you do to get it I wonder?”

“And what exactly are you implying asshole?”

“Like I said, I know all about you, including what you’ve done for a living. I find it interesting Eren’s found someone like you.” Levi didn’t blink or flinch at Grisha’s words. “Tell me Levi, how did you manage to get out of all that completely unscathed? I wonder.” Grisha frowned when Levi’s face remained neutral. “I find it interesting fire seems to follow you too.”

Levi’s voice seemed bored when he responded. “Times up.” He grabbed onto the arm that was still on the car and used the moves Eren and Annie had taught him to slam Grisha onto the trunk of his car. “Now that you’re done with your idle threats let me leave you with one of my own that is not so idle.” Levi said without emotion near Grisha’s surprised face. “Come near me or _any_ of my family again and I will be happy to return everything that you did to Eren back on you tenfold.” He jerked Grisha’s arm back and the man winced. “The only reason why I don’t right now is because of my children in the car, because you see, unlike you, I actually give a shit about my kids, whether they’re my own or not. You want to spout bullshit to everyone you meet and call people a failure.” He squeezed the pressure point on Grisha’s wrist and he yelped. “Only failure I see is you.” He let him go, taking a step back and giving him a chance to leave before things escalated.

“You stupid little shit.” Grisha turned and tried to hit Levi, and he dodged it.

“If you’re going to call me names come up with something more original.” He said swooping a leg under Grisha and making him fall onto the hard pavement. “Eren taught me that one, by the way.” Levi said smiling. “You see, he may get stuck in his head when he sees you, but I don’t have the same childhood trauma when it comes to you. So I’m more than happy to do what he can’t.” Levi knelt down next to him. “Eren protected me and my family when I needed him, and I’ll do the same, because that’s what real family does for one another.” He looked up to see Erwin running over and stood up, going to the car to check on the three in the back seat. They were all staring out wide eyed, but Connie was looking at Levi in amazement rather than fear.

“Levi!” Erwin yelled when he got closer.

“You have a trespasser Principle Smith.” Levi said pointing to Grisha. “I wonder what a man like him is doing lurking around a school.”

“You’re worthless. A stain in this world.”

“That might work with Eren, but it won’t with me. I know what I am, some pathetic man who gets off on the pain of others certainly wont change that. Only worthless person I see here is you. For someone so determined to make the world seem like you hate your son, you sure seem insanely infatuated with him and the ones in his life.”

“This man assaulted me!” Grisha yelled looking at Erwin and seeming to recognize him as he was on the phone.

“Grisha, if you’re expecting any sympathy from me you really came to the wrong place.” Erwin noted as he spoke to who Levi assumed was the police telling them that there was a suspicious man on the school grounds. When Grisha made a move to stand and run, Levi slammed his foot down onto his back. “One of the parents subdued him.” Erwin explained. He stood with Levi glaring at the man on the ground. Levi had never seen Erwin angry before, and hoped he never would again. He thought Hange was frightening when she was pissed. He made no move to harm Grisha, although Levi was certain Erwin’s arms were crossed more to prevent himself from doing something and to appear intimidating.

Levi wasn’t all that surprised when it was Annie and Reiner who arrived first, followed by a second cop car. Reiner looked like he’d just received the best Christmas gift ever and Annie was looking at Levi proudly.

“Levi, you honestly have the best and worst luck I swear.” Reiner said as Levi removed his foot so he could cuff Grisha who yelled and spit at him. “You smell like a fucking distillery.”

Erwin talked to the other cops while Reiner pulled Grisha up and towards the cop car. Annie opened the door to Levi’s car and asked if the kids were ok and if Grisha had done anything to them.

“Levi was awesome!” Connie said pushing between the girls as they all tried to tell Annie the story. A cop came over to get Levi’s statement and Erwin noted that he probably approached Levi when he arrived in the car, breaking the restraining order Eren had on him. For once Levi was glad Eren wasn’t allowed around the kids, knowing it could have easily been him here instead of Levi, and not wanting to see that look of fear on his boyfriends face again. Grisha was yelling at one of the cops as he was getting his statement.

“He keeps doing that Reiner’s going to tase him.” Annie muttered going over to stop Reiner from doing anything reckless. “Good job Levi, looks like those classes came in handy.”

Erwin followed Levi home and sat with him even though Levi insisted he was fine by the ordeal. “What all did he say to you?” Erwin asked and Levi recounted what Grisha had told him. He bit his lower lip wondering how Eren’s father had found out about the brothel.

“I should probably call Petra. Although I’m sure she’ll say this is Eren’s fault, again.” Levi said pulling out his phone. Erwin said he’d stay with him when Petra said she was coming over. It was a good thing too, as Erwin had to stand between them while Levi fumed.

“You can’t possibly try to dictate who I want to date.” Levi argued, getting pissed he was having the same argument as before.

“You’re right I can’t decide who you date, but I can decide who the children are around!” Petra persisted.

“Ms. Ral, Levi and Eren have done nothing wrong to get the children taken from Levi’s custody.” He reasoned. “Eren wasn’t even there today and had no knowledge of it. He also has a restraining order against his father which Grisha has broken on several occasions. Each time, the children have not been the ones in danger.”

“You were to the one who made the initial complaint.” Petra glared at Erwin who sighed and shook his head.

“And I regret making it now that I’ve seen everything Levi has done for them. I refuse to stand by now and have you threaten to take them away from a good home. You’re wasting precious time here when you could be helping another family.”

“I agree that Levi is a good father but I don’t approve of Eren being in their lives!” She looked over at Levi, her eyes wide. “Why him? What does he have that’s so good anyways?”

Understanding flashed in his mind as he looked at that face. Petra was jealous. Was she hoping that getting Eren out of the picture would suddenly make him like her? The frequent visits in the past weeks made more sense now as Petra tried to saddle her way in the void left by Eren’s absence. He stood there silently as this became clearer to him. “I want a different case worker.” He stated calmly and flatly.

“What?” Petra asked confused. Erwin stepped back watching the events with concern, seeing the same look Levi had when he’d fought Grisha earlier.

“When this all started, you said if I wanted a different social worker I could because of our ‘past relationship.’” Levi held up his hands in quotations and emphasized the last part sarcastically. “Obviously, that was a concern for you, while it didn’t bother me in the slightest because there was no relationship.”

“Levi I-“

“Let me make one thing very clear Ms. Ral. Levi stepped forward forgetting Erwin was in the room. He knew Erwin was aware to some degree and frankly didn’t care anymore. “You were a part of a job. No more important to me than the trash I clean up at my jobs now.” Petra took a step back looking shocked and sad at the same time. “I was never actually interested in you, and I won’t let you ruin a relationship with someone I love just because you have delusions of grandeur.” He marched forward and poked Petra in the sternum. “And just so you know, the man you want to get rid of so much. He and I saved your ass and your job.” He spun around to leave the room. “Something I regret at the moment.”

Petra grabbed his arm and slapped him across the face. “How dare you!” Tears filled her eyes and Levi couldn’t bring himself to care.

“Ms. Ral. I believe it’s time for you to go.” Erwin stated quietly and Petra slapped her hand across her mouth. It seemed she had forgotten he was there. Erwin took a look at the reddening mark on Levi’s face. It stung, but it didn’t bother him that much. He’d had much worse. Petra practically ran from the house and Levi could hear her crying. Erwin walked into the living room calling Mike and telling him what happened. Mike decided to take the case back on himself, saying he’d be over tomorrow to take his own assessment of the situation.

When Erwin got off the phone he turned and looked at Levi. “Were you and her together while she was your case worker?”

“No. Never.” Levi promised. “She was a…client…at my old profession. When she was put on the case, we agreed that it would only be professional. I didn’t want to see her get in trouble for it.” Levi pinched the bridge of his nose and looked at the ground, feeling like he was being scolded by a father that he never actually had. “She was just lonely I thought, and she was very kind unlike some of my other regulars, but I didn’t think that there were any feelings there.”

Erwin sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. “Well this just got a lot more complicated. It’s been a long day. I’ll do us both a favor and stay out of it this time, but don’t think Mike will go easy on you because you’re friends with Hange and I.”

“I understand. I’ll treat it like every other visit.” Levi nodded and Erwin left, saying he needed a drink after today. As expected, the three musketeers were sitting in the hallway again listening. He got them to bed avoiding some of their questions and telling them Mike would be coming to see them now which they seemed to like. He found out from them that some of the questions Petra had asked were in his eyes inappropriate. Such as wouldn’t they prefer having a mother figure instead of two father figures or wouldn’t they prefer to see more of Petra, his least favorite came from Sasha when Petra had asked what Sasha would think of her and Levi together.

“I didn’t know what to say and I was scared after messing up the last time.” Sasha stated with concern as he sat beside her on her bed. “I told her I was ok with whoever made you happy, and Eren makes you the happiest. I didn’t really understand the question.”

“It’s fine. You didn’t do anything wrong.” Levi assured patting her head and tucking her and Mikasa in. He could hear Connie talking animatedly to Jean who’d just come home from work, filling him in with everything he missed.

“You really slammed a guy on the car?” Jean asked as Levi walked in. His eyes lit up and smiling in disbelief.

“Yeah. I told you Annie was teaching me self defense, and it just wasn’t any guy. It was Eren’s father.”

“Fuck. I’m disappointed I missed it. And standing up to Petra too? Bout fucking time.”

“Did she ever ask you anything about her and I?” Levi asked curiously, wondering why Jean wouldn’t have told him.

“No, but I could tell she had the hots for you. Marco even commented on it once. And she acted like she was ok with you and Eren and Marco an I, but sometimes she’d get this look. I kinda just figured she had something against gay relationships.”

“What’s wrong with your relationships?” Connie asked looking between the two.

“Nothing.” Levi stated. “Some people just think that men should only be with women.”

“It’s why Marco and I don’t do anything out in public.” Jean explained.

“Oh. Well I think that’s stupid.” Connie stated “I think people should be with who they want to be with.”

Levi told them both good night, leaving open his bedroom door in case any of them decided to sleep with him. He called Eren, him picking up on the 2nd ring.

“Do I have a story to tell you.” Levi said smiling.

“Yeah? I’ve got one for you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for those waiting for the reveal from the last chapter! Next one!


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren is reunited with the kids, and the group goes on a 'family' vacation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't updated as quickly as I wanted. This doozy of a chapter should make up for it... Smut and fluffiness for our favorite couple.

“Eren!” He heard the cacophony of yelling before he was nearly knocked over by the trio of little minions. He dropped his bags onto the floor and caught himself on the wall, along with catching Connie who’d decided to launch an arial assault to get over the two girls. He hit Eren’s chest hard but Eren didn’t feel anything other than happiness as he gripped onto the kid and held him close when the tears began to fall.   
“Aww come on kiddos it hasn’t been that long since I’ve been gone.” Eren said smiling. He shifted Connie’s weight, so he was holding him in one arm and pat Sasha’s head who currently had a death grip on his leg. Mikasa was mimicking her on his other side. “And we talked almost every day.”  
“It’s not the same.” Sasha whined, rubbing her head into his knee. “And Levi’s been sad.”  
“You’re not going to leave again are you?” Eren moved Connie again so he could see Mikasa looking up at him with watery grey eyes.  
“Leave the house again yes. I would not like to be caged in forever. But leave you all again, no I don’t intend to.” He meant it. He could see how much his absence had affected them and it had hurt him far more than any breakup had before. Yes, he’d been able to talk to them and he and Levi hadn’t actually broken up, but it felt like it sometimes. Or worse it felt like that was what would happen if things didn’t improve. He understood now why Hange was so overprotective of him even though they weren’t really family.   
He’d been looking down at Mikasa and completely missed the speeding horse who attacked him next. He was glad he was already pressed against the wall or else he’d really have fallen that time. “Eren.” Jean said his name almost like a prayer, wrapping his arms around Eren’s waist tightly causing him to not be able to breathe properly. This was almost worse than their reactions after the fire, but at the time all their adrenaline was stronger than the emotions.   
“You better be doing track if you can run like that.” Eren wheezed and patted Jean on the back. “Loosen the grip would ya? Unless you’re trying to kill me.”  
“Come on guys, give him some space.” Levi had finally chosen to intervene, although Eren figured he’d been there the whole time watching, letting the kids have their little reunion. When Jean let him go, he set Connie on the ground and picked each of the girls up giving them proper hugs and kisses as he walked. He saw Marco was there smiling away like usual.  
“Hi Honey I’m home.” Eren said with a smile and Levi’s eyes lit up while his face remained impassive. “Miss me?”  
“Always.” He responded with the hint of a smile. Eren gave him a broad smile in return and sat on the couch to be mauled by the kids. Jean picked up his bags and took them upstairs for him before returning and pushing through the others, so he was touching Eren. Eren was going to tease him about it, but thought better of it, seeing the stress in his face and the bags under his eyes. Marco took a seat on the floor turned towards him while Levi sat on the other end of the couch.   
“Did Levi tell you about what he did to the mean man?” Sasha asked looking up at Eren. Connie’s eyes lit up too and he jumped on Eren’s lap in excitement.   
“It was so freaking cool! You should have been there to see it. He was acting all impressed and stuff when the guy was talking smack. Then bam!” Connie smacked his fist into his hand. “He shoved him into the car! Then the guy tried to hit him, so Levi went Wham!” His hands flew around while he tried to mimic the motions as best he could. “The dude was flat on the ground and Levi held him there until Principal Smith and the cops came. And then Reiner put him in cuffs and took him away.”  
“Oh yeah? Sounds pretty awesome.” Eren smiled. “I heard a little about it but didn’t get the details like that.”  
“Is the mean man gone now?” Mikasa asked.   
“Yeah.” For now. “The police will take care of it now. You won’t need to worry about him. Besides, he’ll be too afraid to mess with anyone in this house again.” He ruffled Sasha and Miksasa’s heads. “Between you two throwing things at him and Levi beating him up, I’d say he learned his lesson.”  
He sat there and listened while each of them talked a mile a minute, telling him about the things he’d missed even though he’d heard some of it from their phone conversations before. He nodded along and showed genuine enthusiasm listening to them. He was happy to see Mikasa was acting more like normal, Levi told him she’d not done well with the separation. Even Jean was talking about things going on in high school and about his job. Marco chiming in on occasion. Levi had gotten up at some point and Eren could smell food while he cooked, finally calling them over for dinner. Eren had to quell an argument brewing as the kids fought over who would sit by him. It had been hard to get them already for bed they were all hyped up on energy. Marco went home after dinner and Eren spent a little bit of time helping Jean with one of his homework assignments before telling the teen to go to sleep.   
Levi was pulling back the sheets on the bed when Eren came in. He shut and locked the door while he wrapped his arms around Levi and pulled him close. “I missed you.”  
Levi hummed and put his hands over Eren’s arms. “I missed you too. I missed this.” He looked over at the shut door. “You’ll want to open that. They still aren’t sleeping well.”  
“I will. But first I want to make sure you know how much I missed you.” Eren turned Levi and tilted his chin up before kissing him roughly. Levi sighed into the kiss and Eren took advantage, his tongue moving into the raven’s mouth before Levi responded in kind. Levi’s nails dug into his back from where he gripped him. Eren pushed him down onto the bed while his mouth roamed over his neck, his shoulders and his body, re-memorizing everything about the raven. He practically ripped Levi’s shirt in his haste to remove it. He admired the changes in Levi’s body from when they first met. He’d filled out after having meals everyday and not giving every morsel to the kids. His workouts with him, Annie, and Reiner had added definition to the previously present muscles. Eren licked and sucked between each crevice of these new definitions, his hands roaming where his mouth wasn’t. Levi threw a pillow over his face to hide the sounds of his moans. Normally Eren would be mad about this, but as high strung as the kids had been, it was quite possible they weren’t really asleep yet. He pulled a nipple into his mouth and Levi pressed the pillow to him tighter while his back arched. Oh, how he’d missed how responsive Levi could be. He picked up Levi’s legs and moved him onto the bed properly while he hovered over him. He pulled on the pillow until he was seeing Levi’s flushed face and kissed him again. Levi tilted his hips so their members would rub together and Eren realized they were still wearing far too much clothing. The soft flannel material didn’t do much to hide their excitement at being together again. He rolled his hips into Levi’s before leaving his mouth and continuing the trail of kisses down the man’s body, licking the subtle v line that was leading him directly where he wanted to go. He pulled on Levi’s pants taking them and his boxers off in a swift motion, his cock springing out leaking with precum. Levi gasped when Eren took him in his mouth and he looked up to see the raven had given up on his attempts to hold the pillow as he watched Eren work. A knuckle was in his mouth and he bit down on it when Eren brought his tongue up the underside of his manhood. The other hand found its way into Eren’s hair and Eren hummed his approval as he continued to work on wrecking his companion. His hands gently scraped the insides of his thighs while pushing them further apart and lifting him up slightly before bringing his tongue to tease his entrance. Levi groaned and Eren kept his eyes trained on him while he worked watching the man writhe and hold back his cries. He stroked his cock while he licked all around the entrance and pushed his tongue in lightly before returning to suck on his head, hollowing out his cheeks to give more suction. When he took all of Levi the raven’s hips bucked and the tip hit the back of his throat. He fought back the urge to gag, digging his fingers into Levi’s thighs as a reminder to stay still.   
He felt Levi’s body tensing and a frantic whisper came from the raven. “Don’t. I don’t want to yet.” He pulled on Eren’s hair and Eren let go of his cock with a pop of his mouth wiping away the drool that had escaped around his chin. Levi took his momentary confusion as an opportunity and flipped their positions, so the raven was now above him. He saw Levi reach frantically in the drawer beside them grabbing lube and a condom before throwing them onto the bed next to them and kissing Eren with fervor. “I want to cum inside you.” He whispered in Eren’s ear before biting on the lobe. It was Eren’s turn to bite back the moans and he brought in his bottom lip while Levi sucked on his neck, low enough it would be covered by a shirt. He kicked off his pants the rest of the way and pulled down Eren’s helping him get them off completely.   
Levi lubed up his fingers and sucked on one of Eren’s nipples while he pushed the first one in. Eren was ready for it, his body craving the intrusion and he pulled Levi’s face back up to his so their kiss would muffle his moans better than his lip would. He urged Levi to keep going, pushing into the finger prompting him to add another. Levi understood and pushed in the second finger crooking them inside him until finding the right spot that made Eren loose all his senses. Levi had put his other hand around Eren’s cock and stroked it while Eren squirmed underneath him. The only thing still keeping him quite was Levi’s own mouth. A random thought entered his mind thanking his talented partner for being such a good multitasker. Levi’s lips quirked against his own so he must have said it aloud or tried to at least. Levi stretched him out, his fingers scissoring inside him before he added a third finger and hit his prostate again. Eren smacked his hands away needing Levi inside of him, feeling that same urgency to be joined that the raven must have had when he was going down on him. Levi understood and grabbed the condom. He ripped it open and put it on, lubing it up before lining himself up with Eren’s needy hole.   
He entered slowly both moaning in each other’s mouths. The present squeak in the futon making itself known and Eren glared at the bed as though it were his worst enemy. He’d pull Levi onto the floor if he had to. A bed certainly was not going to ruin this. He put his hands on each of Levi’s ass cheeks and pushed him in further when the raven was going too slow. He bit Levi’s lip accidentally when Levi bottomed out.   
Levi stayed that way for a moment, the two conjoined as close as they possibly could. He ran his hands over Eren’s face. “I love you.” He whispered softly. “I missed you.”  
Eren’s heart swelled. Never before had he had such emotional sex than with the younger man above him. While there was urgency to their movements, there was passion behind it as well. He’d never been in love with someone so deeply as the raven, and there would never be anyone else that compared. “I love you too. So, so much.” Levi moved lazily now, and Eren was perfectly fine with staying at this pace for now. Enjoying just being with Levi again. It wasn’t long before Levi’s movements became more frantic though, and he hit Eren’s prostate with every thrust. The two came together, Levi collapsing on Eren’s chest and Eren held him tightly not wanting them to move just yet. Levi groaned when Eren’s body twitched involuntarily and he pulled out tsking to himself as he got up to remove the condom and get his bathrobe. He left and returned with a wet washcloth, cleaning up their mess before putting his pants back on and helping Eren get back into his just in case they had a visitor.   
Levi got situated on the bed wrapping one arm and leg over Eren’s body while resting his head over Eren’s heart. Eren rubbed Levi’s bare back lazily still feeling the postcoital bliss as he looked up at the ceiling in a daze.   
“I’m sorry.” Levi whispered and Eren looked down with confusion  
“Why are you sorry?” He asked brushing the hair out of Levi’s face so he could see him.  
“All this was my fault. The fire, the separation.”  
“No. The fire was the assholes fault. And I could be as much to blame as you.” The arsonist turned out to be the one Eren had pinned to the bathroom wall. He regretted not bashing his nasty ass face through that tile when he’d had the chance. And who had put him up to it? None other than the brothel owner. That slimy conniving she devil had managed to pull strings and maneuver her chess pieces. His hand clenched behind Levi in frustration. Had they acted against just him or Levi he would have been upset but less so. They had almost hurt the kids though. They certainly had done a number on them emotionally and for that he wanted them to suffer. He hoped that the courts would be able to give them some sort of justice but didn’t have as much faith in the system as he should. “And neither of us realized what Petra’s issue was. I knew she didn’t like me, but I didn’t ever get the jealousy vibes from her.”  
“Mmm. I should have seen it. And he was only a part of our lives because of me.”   
“Shh. Stop. There’s no point thinking should’ve, would’ve, could’ve. We’re all safe and back together again. That’s all that matters.”  
“What’s going to happen now?” Levi mused.  
Eren sighed. “A long drawn-out court case I imagine. So much for us not being involved in the brothel’s trials. Not to mention we’ll probably have to deal with my father again unless he pleads guilty this time.”  
Levi groaned and moved tighter around him. “Seems like such a hassle. Why can’t it be like a movie and the bad guy goes away forever?”  
Eren chuckled. “Yeah, I wish. I’d love never to see dad again. Hate to say it, but I’m glad you saw him instead of me.”  
“Mmm. I told him as much too. Just return the favor if Kenny ever rears his ugly head ok?”  
“Sure love. Anytime.” He kissed Levi’s forehead. “I do wish someone had got a video of it though.”  
“I’m sure Connie would be more than happy to give you another play by play. He’s been telling everyone about it that will listen.”  
“Well, his pseudo dad is a bit of a badass.”  
“I think he’s expecting me to be some weird vigilante now.”  
“Only if you wear the tight spandex outfit.” Eren grinned thinking of it in his head. “No cape. It will get in the way of your gorgeous ass.” He reached down and squeezed one of the cheeks for emphasis. “You know what, on second thought, no. I don’t want anyone else seeing you but me. But I’m all for the outfit still.”  
“Such a dork. Of course, Mr. Cartoon boxers would be for the idea.”  
Eren stuck his tongue out at him. Levi chuckled to himself. They shared another lazy kiss. Eren’s eyes became heavy and as much as he wanted to stay awake, he fell asleep shortly after the raven did.  
\--------  
Levi awoke to an empty bed and he looked around in confusion. Had he dreamt the whole thing? It wouldn’t have been the first time, but it had seemed so real. He was able to smell Eren’s choice of shampoo on the pillows and knew it hadn’t been a dream. It was still early, too early for anyone to be up yet, so he went to investigate where Eren might have gone off to, tossing on a t shirt as he left the room. He saw the boy’s door was slightly ajar and peered in. Connie was sleeping on top of Eren, a puddle of drool was on Eren’s chest as he slept with his mouth open and spread out, limbs falling off the bed. He smiled at the sight of them, returning to his room and picking up his phone so he could capture the moment. Eren opened his eyes while Levi was still in the room giving him a lazy smile as he tried to stretch. He moved Connie off of him, doing his best not to disrupt the boys sleep, and climbed out of the bed, following Levi out into the hall.  
“What time is it?” He asked rotating his shoulders and cracking his neck.  
“Only am.” Levi grabbed onto Eren’s hand and pulled him back toward his room. “I didn’t like waking up to an empty bed again.”  
“Sorry. I know you haven’t been sleeping well. So, I thought I’d stay with Connie until he went to bed again, I must have fallen asleep myself.”  
“Thank you for checking on him. You’re probably what he needed more anyways.” Eren pulled on a shirt after wiping the drool off his chest, climbing back into bed and urging Levi to follow.   
“It did seem like he needed some reassurance.” Eren agreed. He turned when Levi got back into bed, cocooning himself around Levi.   
“The kids still don’t know about this weekend?”  
“Jean knows a little bit. Only because I wanted him and Marco to take off. Are we meeting the others there or we all driving together?” They’d decided to celebrate Eren’s return by using up the ski resort passes, and the whole squad was coming along. The two pregnant women having already made plans to get pampered while the rest had fun on the slopes.   
“Mmm. They’re all supposed to come here, and we’ll drive up together. Erwin got reservations once Mike gave the official ok for me to come back.”   
“I’m nervous. I’ve never done anything like this before.”  
“Don’t worry. You’ll do fine. You’re a natural athlete and anything you’ve tried so far you excel at. And if you don’t want to try skiing or snowboarding, we can always just stay with tubing. It will be nice, to get away and have some fun.”  
Levi nodded his agreement. With everything that had happened as of late a getaway sounded nice. It would be a new experience for him and the kids, and he would be lying if he wasn’t a bit excited. They stayed in bed until they needed to get up and get the others moving in order to get to the slopes on time. It was a few hours drive there. Sasha and Mikasa both rubbed their eyes in confusion as Levi got them up and told them to dress. He’d already packed all the things they’d need for the trip and had them in the car in preparation. Eren was ushering Connie towards the bathroom, Jean staying behind to get changed.   
Levi almost jumped in shock when he saw Hange and Erwin already sitting in his living room chatting with Isabel and Farlan. “Hey honey.” Hange said looking over the couch and waggling her eyebrows. “How was your evening?”  
“None of your business.” Levi muttered and she laughed saying that was the only answer she needed. She changed her target when Eren came down, jumping up and circling the man as he went to the kitchen to grab one of the coffees Erwin had brought. Eren swatted playfully at Hange telling her she wasn’t getting anything out of him until he had coffee. She laughed and sat down next to Erwin noting Eren didn’t exactly say no to the details. They waited for the kids to finish getting ready and for the others to arrive. The kids were getting excited when they saw everyone there and they filled them in on the plans for the next two days. They jumped into Eren’s new vehicle, and Eren climbed into the back, making sure Mikasa was properly in her booster seat before hopping back out. Erwin talked to him and Armin briefly as they were the ones driving and Levi got into the passenger seat, finding a station for them to listen to. Marco was the last to pull in, running over with his bag packed and apologizing for being late. Eren popped the hatch and once everyone was set, followed Erwin’s car out of the driveway.   
Levi had to admit it was a good idea for Eren to get a bigger vehicle. Now everyone fit together without risking anyone’s safety. Levi watched with interest as Eren drove out of the city and into more rural settings. He didn’t travel much; he’d never been able to afford to. He’d only seen the landscape they were driving through from the window of a bus years ago, when he’d fled from his uncle with Mikasa. She’d been so young then, it still surprised him she remembered her parent’s death. He looked back to see the others looking out the windows as well. The trio of young ones were playing a car ride game Eren had told them about while Jean had in his headphones and was looking out the window, a hand entwined with Marco’s as he did the same.   
Eren yawned and Levi turned his attention to him. “You ok?”  
“Yeah. Just tired. Coffee hasn’t sunk in yet.”   
“You sure? I can drive. We’re just following the others anyways.”  
“It’s fine Levi.” Eren reached out for his hand squeezing it. “You just keep looking outside. The sights are going to get even better as we drive closer to the mountains.”  
“Have you ever been here before?” Levi asked, deciding to keep Eren’s mind occupied. Rather than look out his window, he looked out the windshield, while having his head cocked toward Eren.  
“Not for a long time. When Armin’s grandpa was healthier, he’d take us up here. We tried to keep going every year, but it was too hard. I hope we can try to make it a thing again though. A new tradition.” He smiled and patted Levi’s thigh. “It’s something nice to do in the winter months rather than being all cooped up.”  
“We’ll see how the kids like it.” Levi agreed. “They certainly liked sled riding.”  
They talked about Eren’s job while he drove, Levi just wanting to make sure that he stayed alert enough rather than get into any serious conversation. The kids got them involved in their game and Jean and Marco joined too until about an hour into their trip. The snow had begun to fall lightly, and houses became sparser as they left the highway and started driving along a rural path. Levi looked at the road with concern, but Eren said this was common weather for the lake and mountain, and it was why they were staying the night, not wanting to risk driving home in the dark and bad weather. Levi stayed quiet, not wanting to interrupt Eren’s concentration, but Eren remained at ease as he drove up the mountain. The kids gasped when they saw people skiing down the hill and Jean laughed pointing at someone who had fallen. Eren drove until the road plateaued and Levi looked at the large ski resort and smaller cabins and shops that created what looked like a small village. He pulled in next to the others and everyone climbed out stretching their legs and grabbing their things. Levi had to grab onto Sasha and Connie who had almost rushed off to explore. He held onto each of their hands while Eren Jean and Marco grabbed their bags too. Levi apologized for not being able to carry his own and Eren waved off his concern, following Erwin into the hotel. Erwin spoke to the lady and she provided him with the keys to each of their rooms. Erwin gave four to Eren and handed out the rest to the squad.  
Eren turned to Jean and Marco, handing them two keys. “You two are in the room next to us.”  
Jean looked at the two cards Eren was trying to give him. “We’re not staying with you?”  
“If you did one of you would have to sleep on the couch and the other would need a cot, or to sleep with Connie. Figured you would prefer this instead.” He tapped the cards on Jean’s hand. “Take them already you dumb horse.” He led the way to the elevator, jumping in with Reiner and Bert. They each walked to their prospective rooms, their group taking up the majority of the rooms on this wing. Isabel and Farlan were across from their room while Reiner and Bert had the room next to Jean and Marco’s, Armin and Annie were across from them and on the other side of Eren and Levi’s room, Erwin and Hange had gotten a larger suite.   
The hotel room was bigger than some of the apartments Levi had looked at with Eren, and the two bedrooms were much larger than the ones in his home. In the master suite, a large king size bed was in the middle of the room, the bedsheets looking pristine and extremely comfortable, adjacent their room was the bathroom which would also lead to the other bedroom. In there, two queen size beds aligned the same wall opposite the bathroom. There was also a room by the entrance which served as a sort of living room with a small dinette area. A mini fridge and coffee pot were on the counter. Levi was used to seeing the smaller simpler rooms at Hange’s hotel. He wondered how much the room was, feeling guilty about staying here.  
The kids wasted no time investigating the room that was going to be theirs, jumping onto the beds and talking about how nice it all was. “Hey, how come Jean went into a different room?”  
“He’s staying with Marco.” Eren explained. “You wouldn’t want Marco to be all alone in a room, would you?”  
“No, I guess not.” Connie said looking at the large bed he was on. “but they could have fit here.”  
“We’re all on vacation. There’s no need to just ‘fit’ anywhere.” Eren said with a smile and rubbing Connie’s head. “Don’t worry. You’ll be spending all day with him anyways. Get changed into your snow suits and we’ll go to the slopes.”  
“Okay!” Connie ran over to Sasha and Mikasa who had already dumped out their bags and were getting the things they would need. Levi changed into the bulky attire also and Eren kissed him while zipping up Levi’s jacket before wrapping a scarf around his neck and a hat on his head. Levi complained saying he didn’t need help getting dressed but found it to be affectionate rather than condescending. Eren smiled at him and kissed him again before they went to check on the trio.  
“Hey, you guys almost ready?” Reiner asked knocking on the door. Eren went to answer him while Levi helped the kids get their gloves and hats on to protect them from the colder weather. Everyone else was ready to go, save for the quartet who were staying behind and going to the spas. Eren tucked his room key into a zipper pocket inside his jacket and handed the other to Levi who did the same. Armin led the small group through the hotel chatting excitedly about being back here again. Levi couldn’t recall a time he’d seen Armin so animated before and his mood was contagious. He led them outdoors and over to the ski lift. Annie grabbed onto Sasha’s hand and told her to ride with them while Bert and Reiner pulled Connie to ride with them. Eren picked up Mikasa and looked back at Jean and Marco asking if they’d be ok, which led him to get a mean glare from Jean and a thumbs up from Marco.   
“It doesn’t stop?” Connie asked when Reiner picked him up and Armin lifted Sasha. Levi watched as people jumped off a distance away and then a new group jumped on from the line, they were standing in.  
“No, it won’t stop for us.” Armin explained. “It goes slow enough for people to get off and on without it needing to.”  
“What stops you from falling off? Sasha asked holding onto Armin while they moved up in the line.  
“There’s a gate that comes down. See?” Armin pointed to the people who were getting out and Levi could see them swinging a thin gate out of their way as they exited. “Don’t worry, you’ll be safe with us. We won’t let you fall.” Levi understood why they had silently chosen to split up the kids, or maybe Eren had discussed it with his friends prior to the trip. Levi watched as Armin and Annie stood getting ready to get on their lift, Sasha yelping as they left the ground and she held onto both the blondes tightly as Armin set her next to him. Reiner and Bert moved into position next, and Connie already had his eyes closed as he gripped the larger man’s neck.   
“Uh, is it ok if we go next?” Jean asked and Eren smiled at him moving out of his way so the couple could get into position before the next lift came. Eren told them just to let the lift come to them and sit down when they felt it behind them. Jean tried not to look scared, but he held onto Marco’s arm when they started their ascent, and it was time for their trio.   
“You afraid of heights?” Eren asked as he stood next to Levi and holding onto Mikasa. She didn’t appear as frightened as the others had, more curious than anything.   
Levi shook his head. “Not that I know of at least. Never really been up really high before.” He felt the back of the lift hit his thigh and sat down like Eren had said. Eren sat Mikasa down next to him and pulled onto the gate before throwing his arms behind both the Ackermans. Levi looked down at the ground and saw them going up higher to pass over the trees. He held onto the gate as though to make sure it would stay in place and focused on watching people ski rather than looking straight down. Occasionally, he’d look ahead to try and check on the others too. Eren was pointing things to Mikasa and reminding her to sit down when she’d tried to stand and look with awe in her eyes.  
“Is this what flying is like?” She asked Eren looking out while he held onto her.   
“A little bit. Do you want to fly?” Mikasa nodded excitedly. “Then you’ll really like it if we come for a zipline trip, and when you’re a little bigger we’ll go to the amusement parks together ok?”   
“Promise?” Mikasa asked holding out her pinky.  
“Uh-oh. I’m entering into a contract I guess.” Eren said smirking over at Levi. “Guess you’ll just have to keep me around a little while longer.” He held out his own pinky for Mikasa and recited the rhyme before releasing hers.  
Levi could see the lifts exit up ahead and watched as the others jumped off and waited for everyone. Sasha seemed excited and was asking Annie if they could go on the ride again while Connie had his head hidden in Reiner’s neck, not looking up even when Jean tried to coax him to get down.   
“He’s fine.” Reiner said shifting Connie. “Don’t worry kiddo. The tube’s lift is nothing like that and the smaller ski hills aren’t as high as that one.” He patted Connie’s back giving Levi a smile as he and Bert followed Armin towards a ticket booth. Armin handed the cashier his vouchers and led the way across a shoveled walkway to a sloped hill. Reiner was able to get Connie to get down and helped him into one of the tubes Annie brought over. Eren collected one for Mikasa and Sasha and Armin explained to the people who’d never been here before what to do when they reached the bottom, pointing to where a worker stood and was helping people clip their tubes to a conveyor belt and they came back up the hill on the tube.  
Tubing was certainly a fun experience. Levi didn’t recall a time when he had smiled so much, and was glad his scarf hid half his face, and the other half was covered with ski goggles. He hadn’t even realized how much time they had spent there until Annie suggested taking a break and getting lunch. Connie’s face blanched when he realized they were getting back on the lift and gripped onto Levi’s leg.  
“Do we have to go down this thing?” He asked looking up at Levi while Eren asked Mikasa to go with Bert and Reiner.   
“Well, unless you want to go down that way.” Levi pointed to the people skiing down the hill. I don’t think so.” He patted Connie’s shoulder. “You’ll be fine, and if you want to be done after this, I’ll stay with you or see if you can hang out with Hange and Erwin ok?”  
Connie nodded and let Eren pick him up. They were the last to get on again and Connie groaned when they left the ground, holding onto Levi’s arm tightly between him and Eren. He chanced a peek about halfway down and he seemed to relax but practically jumped off when Eren swung he gate out and he was back on the ground.   
They went back to their rooms to change out of their suits, hanging them in the bathroom for now and met up with Erwin, Hange, Isabel and Farlan in one of the large dining halls. It was a buffett style and Levi helped the kids get the things that they wanted, making sure they didn’t touch anything and complaining to Eren how unsanitary buffets could be while Eren chuckled at him.   
After they ate, people began to branch off. Annie and Armin wanted to go to the skiing hills and Jean and Marco were going to the beginner’s ones to try and learn how to ski. Reiner and Bert were going with them. The pregnant couples were going shopping for the afternoon, agreeing to meet up with the others, and Erwin offered to watch Connie when he didn’t have any interest in going back to tubing with the others. Levi rode with Mikasa and Sasha with Eren as they went back up the ski lift to a different tubing hill where Levi lost track of time again, looking up at the sky and noticing dusk had settled in. He recommended going back, and as they went down the lift, he saw the lights begin to turn on, making the resort look something like in a snow globe.  
When they reached the bottom, they found some of the others and grabbed a small snack before dinner Sasha regaling her tales to Connie telling him what he missed while Levi reminded her not to eat with her mouth full. Eren looked at him with sad puppy eyes and asked if they could go to the pools and Levi nodded, deciding the hot tubs sounded nice after being out in the cold all day. They returned once more to their hotel room to change into the bathing suits Eren had bought them all before coming on this trip. Eren sat at the edge of the bed blowing up floaties for the kids to use while they were in the pool. Levi grabbed one of them and helped him and once they were all secured on the kids arms, they descended down to the bottom floor.  
It appeared as though they weren’t the only ones who had swimming in mind. Reiner was in the pool with Armin doing laps while Bert sat in a hot tub with Annie, his head back as he relaxed. Eren led the kids towards the pool after reassuring Levi he’d be able to handle them and told him to go relax. He looked at the hot tub, intrigued by the entrance to the outside. The way fogged by the change in temperature. He walked in and went towards the pathway finding Jean and Marco outside, Marco with his arms on the edge while he watched people coming down the hill. Levi was surprised that he still felt warm even out in the cold, but imagined if he were to stand up completely, that would not be the case. He decided to leave the teens alone and went back inside taking a seat next to Annie and feeling a jet hit his back as he did so.  
“Did you have fun today?” Annie asked turning her head toward him.   
“I did. It wasn’t like anything I’ve ever done before. The kids seemed to enjoy it too.”  
Bert chuckled. “Jean might be complaining about being sore later. He and Marco took quite a few tumbles down the hill. Did pretty good when they switched to snow boards though. Not too bad for being new to this.”  
“I’m glad everyone has had a good time.” Levi repeated, glancing over at Eren who was showing the kids how to float and swim, his smile wide and eyes filled with merriment. Mikasa seemed to be catching on, or at least paying more attention, while Sasha and Connie were too busy splashing one another or Eren and Reiner to really focus.  
As it neared time for their late dinner, the group got out and went to their hotel rooms to change. Levi asked Eren if he thought they would need the suits but Eren shook his head, saying they were going somewhere fun. Most of the others were leaving their rooms around the same time Levi and company were and they took different elevators down to the foyer. Levi looked over at Jean with concern as the teen was staring down at his shoes like they were the most interesting thing in the world. He grabbed onto Eren as everyone started to exit and pulled him down the hall the opposite way. “I need to talk to you.”  
\--------  
“Nope. I’m not having this conversation. You should have grabbed Levi.” Eren said trying to pull away from the teen who was now beet red and damn, since when did the kid have such a strong grip.  
“Please Eren. I promised Levi I would tell him before I was ready, and I don’t know if I am yet or not, but I just want to be prepared. You know? It’s not like we usually have an opportunity like this and what better place for a first time?”  
Eren sighed and ran the hand Jean wasn’t holding onto with some crazy superhuman death grip over his face. “I thought you two were already having sex when I made the room arrangements.” He said honestly. He didn’t want to know about the teens sex life and had left things alone for Levi to deal with like they had agreed to. “And I hate to break it to you kid, but the first time is not some romantic things like you see on tv. It’s awkward and will probably last about 2 seconds.”  
“See? This is why I want to talk to you.” Jean pressed on. “Levi has already gone over the basics. So, you know I understand how it works and all that, but I want to know what to expect. And I need supplies. But I don’t have a clue which kind is best.” Jean was talking rapidly and Eren could tell how much this conversation embarrassed him. Eren gave in because of the pitiful look that Jean was giving him. He knew he wasn’t going against anything Levi wanted. Levi had said he expected them to have sex at their age and as long as they were safe about it and didn’t do it where they would get caught, he didn’t care one way or the other. Eren had expected the whole romantic trip to get to the horny teens so he’d made the room arrangements to give them their space. Levi had agreed to it also, and it gave them their own space from the most prying eyes in Levi’s family.   
“Fine. I’ll help, but after dinner. We’ll find a convenience store and I’ll have one of the most awkward conversations of my damn life.”   
Jean hugged him and Eren was surprised patting the teen softly on the back. “Thank you.” Jean whispered. While Eren may not exactly be happy about having the odd conversation, he was glad Jean had been willing to come to him.   
“Come on, lets catch up with the others before anyone gets worried.” Eren said pulling Jean along when the teen agreed. “And just so you know, I’m willing to help you with this but don’t think I’m not telling Levi.”  
“I know. I wouldn’t expect you to keep it from him. It’s just, for some things it’s easier to talk to you.”  
“Oh goodie.” Eren muttered but inside his heart swelled, knowing the kids saw him as family as much as he did them. “You really haven’t done anything yet?” He asked his voice low as they walked down to the restaurant.   
“Well, we’ve done other things.” Jean said, his face reddening. “Just not it.”   
Eren rubbed his head again, this was going to be a long conversation later. He walked into the busy restaurant and searched for the group, finding them at three different tables near one another and close to the bowling lanes which is why they’d picked this restaurant. He could make out Armin already setting up the two lanes that would be theirs once they were ready. He could see Connie eyeing up the arcade games on the other side of the restaurant also. Marco saw it too and told Levi what he’d like to order before pulling Connie along to play games while they waited for food. Eren took his seat next to Levi who looked over at him with concern. Eren didn’t wait for him to ask, just said he’d talk to him about it later and that everything was fine. Levi nodded and returned to looking at the menu and making sure the girls knew what they wanted.   
The waitress came over to get drink orders and returned to get food orders telling them to enjoy the facility while they waited. They split into teams and played a couple games before the food arrived and Eren went to collect Marco, Connie, and Sasha, who had joined them when she had become bored with the bowling game. Eren looked around the tables still loving how this group of people had become a large misfit family, each broken in their own way but fitting together. This was far better than any family reunion he’d ever been dragged to as a kid. As the night drew to a close, he saw how weary the kids had become. It had been a long and exciting day for them. Hange seemed beat too, even though she hadn’t been able to do as much on the trip. He knew she tired easily now and hoped she wasn’t trying to overdo it. She’d insisted on coming along, especially when Isabel and Farlan said they’d come too. Erwin said good night and offered to take the kids up if Eren and Levi wanted to stay down here. Eren saw Jean’s look and shook his head offering to help Levi with the kids and picked up a yawning Mikasa. Sasha protested when Levi patted her on the shoulder and Eren could tell the young girl was fighting to stay up. She and Connie followed along obediently while she complained that she didn’t want the night to end yet.  
“We’ll still have time to do some things before we leave tomorrow.” Eren promised as he patted Jean on the shoulder quietly telling him he’d be back down in a few minutes. He said good night to his friends knowing they would probably stay up to enjoy the night life that was here. Isabel and Farlan had already offered to watch the kids if Eren and Levi had wanted to go out too, but honestly Eren had no interest in it. He wanted to spend the quiet night with Levi and knew after the day the kids had that they would be knocked out for the foreseeable future. He couldn’t think of a better way to spend his weekend than with Levi in his arms. Levi had used the excuse that he was still underage as a reason why he didn’t want to go, but Eren could tell that he felt the same way Eren did, if the way his steel gray eyes smoldered at him was any sign. Unfortunately, Levi would need to wait just a little longer, as he needed to handle things with Jean. Levi seemed perturbed when Eren said he’d be back in a little bit after they got the kids in pajamas and into bed. He promised he’d make it up to the raven and told him to get ready while he was gone loving the way Levi’s eyes and body reacted before he ran away. If he stayed looking at those eyes too long, he’d leave Jean hanging. And he didn’t want the teen to do anything that he and Marco would regret.  
Which is how he found himself standing in a convenience store looking at the aisle of condoms and lube, Jean’s face beet red as he looked at all of them. He grabbed a pack of magnum condoms before Eren grabbed them from him and put them back on the shelf.  
“I can promise you; you don’t need that size.” Eren said. “Even if you think you, or Marco, are big, a regular condom will work just fine.”  
“Does brand matter?” Jean asked picking up another one it said ribbed for her pleasure. Jean put that one back on the shelf. “I don’t think we need that just yet.”   
“Good call.” Eren said grabbing a pack and giving them to Jean. “Brand doesn’t matter, any of these will do. Do either of you have a latex allergy?” From the way Jean’s eyes widened he hadn’t considered it. Eren sighed and decided he didn’t want to deal with any awkward trips to the hospital, so he put back the ones he had given Jean and grabbed a non-latex box to be on the safe side. “Find out before you need to buy more. Eren told him while Jean looked at the box like it was a bomb.   
“Jean, if you’re not ready for anything to happen don’t feel like you have to just because it’s convenient. I’m sure Marco will understand if you want to wait still. He doesn’t seem like a prick.” He tried to pull on the box, but Jean held onto it.  
“No. No I want to, I’m just worried. I don’t want to mess up.”  
“It’s your first time, you’re going to mess up.” Eren said looking at the different lubricant options. “You’re not going to be some weird sex god on the first go.” He smiled and winked at Jean “It’s like anything else, practice makes perfect.”  
“Ugh I really don’t want to know what that entails with you and Levi.” Jean said shaking his head as though that would remove whatever images he was conjuring. He looked at the large bottle Eren handed him. “I don’t think I really need such a big bottle.”  
“Trust me. You can never have enough lube. Especially when you’re first trying.” Eren looked over the aisles making sure that they were alone. “Do you know if you want to top or bottom? Or know is preference yet?”  
“Uh…Do I have to pick just one?”  
Eren smirked. “Yes. Its going to go on your license and you’ll never be able to change it again.” He smacked the back of Jean’s head lightly. “Of course, you don’t have to pick just one. I recommend trying both and see which one you prefer even if you think you know. Switching is perfectly normal in a relationship, but you’ll find you enjoy one over the other.”  
“I know I’m going to regret asking this but what are you?” Jean suddenly found the floor very interesting and Eren smiled again.   
“We switch.” He replied nonchalantly as though he was talking about the weather. He wouldn’t go into the details of his and Levi’s sex life, but he could provide these little things if it would put the teen more at ease. “I tend to bottom though, because of Levi’s experiences.”   
Jean nodded in understanding. He’d seen the way Levi had returned from the brothel more times than Eren had, and there was no doubt the observant teen knew exactly why Levi was hurting. Maybe that’s why Jean had chosen to wait as long as he had, worried he’d get hurt or he’d hurt Marco like the men Levi used to sleep with.   
“You don’t have to worry about it so much. It won’t be like that for the both of you. The people he was with were scumbags who thought since they paid for him, they owned him.” Jean’s grip tightened on the bottle in his hand. “Just make sure you’re communicating.” He said giving more advice than he’d wanted to. “It’s going to be weird, but make sure you talk until you get to know each other more intimately and can read each other’s actions. And don’t rush. Top or bottom, don’t hurry through no matter how horny the two of you get.” He gave Jean a twenty. “I’m not walking up to the counter and paying for these for you.”  
“I didn’t ask for you to pay asshole. I just wanted to know I was getting the right stuff.” Jean looked at the collection again. “Why do they make it so hard?”  
“When it comes down to it, lube is lube. Just different brands trying to get their money. Stay away from the warming ones though. It’s not a very pleasant feeling and highly unnecessary. Are we good here?”  
Jean nodded. “Yeah. Yeah I’ll be fine.”   
“Ok.” Eren walked away grabbing a bottle of wine and a corkscrew for him and Levi. “If you really need us call, but try not to panic ok?” Jean nodded and Eren left to pay for his wine, heading back upstairs to his room with Levi and hoping the kid would take his advice. He smiled when he opened the door and saw the room was filled with tea lights, the only luminescence in the room. “What’s all this?” He asked walking over to where Levi was kneeling at the edge of the bed waiting for him, a robe loosely wrapped around him so Eren was able to see his chest.  
“Thought I’d put some more effort into our night since we were on a romantic getaway.” Levi said sitting up and kissing Eren when he was close enough to him. Eren set the wine down and played with Levi’s bath robe, unable to hide his smile at all of Levi’s efforts. Levi was not the romantic one between them, and this was far more than he ever expected from the raven.  
“You hardly needed to.” Eren said kissing Levi’s neck. “But I love the effort nonetheless.” He wrapped his arms around Levi and spun them so he was sitting on the bed with Levi straddling him. “I feel way over dressed for the occasion.”   
“I can help with that.” Levi said pulling on Eren’s shirt hem. Eren held up his arms so the shirt fell off easily. “Everything ok with Jean?”  
“Yeah, performance jitters.” Eren said with a grin. “Apparently you’re not the only one taking advantage of the trip.” He kissed Levi’s neck again, this time on the other side. He didn’t want to think about the teens next door when Levi was looking so perfect for him, but he knew Levi wouldn’t be at ease otherwise. “Wanted help getting the right supplies.”  
“I see.” Levi had his head tilted and his eyes closed giving Eren the access he needed to continue kissing the expanse of his neck. He hummed when Eren bit softly following with soft licks. He didn’t bite hard enough to leave any marks, but enough to elicit the response he wanted to hear. He whined when Levi got off his lap and grabbed the wine bottle setting it down on the table. “Did you bring any cups?” He asked ignoring Eren’s complaints of being interrupted.  
“Crap. No. I’ll grab some from the other room since I still have pants on.” He walked out of the bedroom, returning with the Styrofoam cups that were by the coffee pot. “These aren’t very romantic but will have to do.”  
“Better than drinking from the bottle.” Levi agreed, already working on removing the cork. “How the hell does this thing work anyways?”  
“Here. Let me do it.” Eren traded the cups for the bottle twisting the corkscrew into the cork before pushing the flaps down and getting the pop from opening the bottle. He poured them both drinks tapping his cup against Levi’s “Cheers love.”  
They both drank their cup, Levi’s fingers unbuttoning Eren’s pants while he sipped on his own. He was smiling when he finished. A rare smile that was only for Eren and the kids. “Remember the last time we drank together?”  
“How could I forget?” Eren asked remembering the night they’d had the party for Levi. “That night changed everything for me.”  
“Me too.” Levi said standing on his toes so he could kiss Eren. “And I don’t want it to ever go back to the way it was.” He pulled Eren along towards the bed by his belt loops and Eren was more than happy to let the raven lead, knowing there wasn’t anywhere else he’d rather be.  
\---------  
Levi let the kids sleep in, enjoying just lazing in bed with Eren with nowhere to go. The bed was extremely comfortable, even more so than Eren’s had been before the fire and Levi didn’t want to leave it just yet. Eren was still sleeping lightly next to him, his face softer in the morning rays coming in through the window. They had been up a good portion of the night and hadn’t slept much the night before, not that Levi was complaining in the slightest. He did have the urge to go check on Jean, but decided to leave the teen be for now, not wanting to interrupt anything or make things more awkward for him. He trusted Jean and Marco and knew both of them were responsible. The fact that Jean had pulled Eren aside to make sure he got what he needed proved as much. He was surprised Jean had come to Eren rather than him, considering how much Eren liked to tease the teen, but maybe the teasing would be less embarrassing than having more of the same conversation with Levi. Jean had come to him before Christmas, ready to have ‘the talk’ and Levi had kept it as clinical as he’d been able to. He guessed that had things not happened the way they did Christmas night, they would have already moved onto the next stage of their relationship.  
He heard the sounds of the water running in the bathroom and knew at least one of the kids were awake. He sat up, making sure Eren was covered but not wanting to wake him just yet. He pulled on a pair of pants and a shirt, looking around the room to make sure most of the signs of his and Eren’s night were free from view. The tea lights had long since burnt out, they had done so before they’d even fallen asleep, and Levi disposed of them in the trash along with the empty bottle of wine and the two cups. He heard Connie and Sasha chattering in the bathroom and knocked lightly on the door. Connie opened it while he was brushing his teeth and Levi wondered how he and Sasha had been able to talk while doing so. He grinned at Levi through the foam and bristles before turning back to the sink and spitting back out. Sasha was trying to reach for the small cup to rinse her mouth and Levi reached around her to grab it for her.  
“Did you two sleep well?” He asked and both of them nodded while spitting again. Connie rinsed off his toothbrush and put it back into the travel case.   
“Do we have to go back home today?” Sasha asked doing the same motions as Connie.   
“Yes darling. We’ll need to go home, but not until later. Go make sure you have your bags packed though so we can check out on time and wake up Mikasa so we can go get breakfast.”  
“Mika’s awake.” Connie said waving the young Ackerman in. “She woke up just before we did.”  
“Did we wake you? We didn’t mean to.” Sasha looked up at him. “We wanted you to get as much sleep as you could.”  
“You’re fine Sasha. I was already awake when I heard the two of you.” He lifted Mikasa up so she could rinse her toothbrush at the tall sink, setting her back down as she brushed them. “Eren’s still asleep though so be quiet for a little bit ok?”  
“Ok.” Both said softly nodding in unison before running back into their room. He grabbed his own toothbrush and brushed his teeth with Mikasa, holding her up again as she rinsed her mouth out. He heard Hange’s loud voice back in his bedroom and determined Eren was awake now whether he wanted to be or not.  
“Come on, come on rise and shine.” Hange said jumping on the bed as Levi came back in pulling the door shut after him. She pulled down the sheets and squeaked before throwing them back over Eren. Eren groaned and covered his eyes with his forearm. “I don’t want to miss out on the continental breakfast.” Hange said ignoring Eren’s discomfort.   
“Last I checked, I’m not the only one who’s here on this trip. Where’s Captain Eyebrows?”  
“He’s getting dressed.” Hange giggled. “He’s just being a bit sluggish today. Pregnancy sex is actually still quite satisfying.”  
“Hange!” Eren tossed a pillow at her head and Hange laughed catching it reminding Levi again of the first night in his apartment. He was glad while so many things had changed in the short period of time, some things had still remained the same. He cleared his throat getting both of their attention and both sets of eyes turned to look over at him.  
“We’ll be down in a few minutes Hange. How bout you make sure the kid’s bags are packed while we get ready?”  
“Okay!” The promise of getting food had her jumping off the bed and sidestepping past him into the other bedroom. Levi pulled out a pair of boxers and clean pants for Eren and handed them to him while he searched for shirts for the both of them.   
“You better go check on Jean before she does.” Eren said getting up and pulling up his pants. Levi was disappointed to see his sculpted ass hidden again and Eren smiled when he caught him looking. “You’ll see it again later.”  
“Suddenly I’m very much regretting not taking Annie up on her offer.” Eren’s eyebrow quirked quizzically. “She offered to let us go away for a weekend just the two of us when the kids weren’t allowed to see you. The idea of having you all to myself is very enticing all of a sudden.”  
“Someday.” Eren agreed, his green eyes lighting up at the idea. “But for the meantime, I quite enjoy family vacation. Not having a Hange wake up call would have been better though. Seriously, go save the kid some embarrassment.”  
Levi pulled on his long-sleeved shirt and walked over to Jean and Marco’s room tapping lightly. It didn’t surprise him Hange had somehow managed to get into their room. She probably had keys for all the rooms or knew some weird secret to getting them open after owning her own hotel for so long. Marco was the one who answered, thankfully fully clothed.  
“Good morning.” Marco said with more happiness than he usually had and that was saying something.   
“Morning. We’re all going down for breakfast soon. Make sure your bags are packed. We’ll check out before we go out again today.”  
“Sure. No problem.” Marco held the door closely to him so Levi couldn’t see the room. Levi couldn’t help but put in one more jab on them.  
“And make sure you clean up after yourselves. No one wants to clean up dirty condoms.” Marco gasped and he heard Jean yelp from inside he pulled the door shut grinning once the door was closed. Hange was coming down the hall and Levi stood in front of the door protectively. While he may have wanted to lightly tease them, he didn’t want Hange to make them embarrassed. “They’re getting ready. They’ll meet us down there.”  
“Okay.” Hange said going back to her room and coming back out shortly after with Erwin carrying their things while she carried a few shopping bags from her day.  
Everyone packed up their cars before going to the large dining hall where they had had lunch yesterday. Levi helped the kids make waffles while Eren topped his plate with large amounts of eggs and bacon. He was joking with Jean who’d come down with visible hickeys on his neck and under his chin. Reiner was elbowing Marco too while the teen blushed and tried to walk normal. Reiner then began to tease Eren who was more than happy to give explicit details about their night together which had Jean and Marco hurrying to leave the buffet line while Annie laughed at Reiner’s shocked face. He looked over at Levi who shrugged and smirked at him. He had no problems reminding Reiner what he had given up and if Eren wanted to tease him, he was happy to go along. He sent the kids back to the table with their waffles to make sure they didn’t overhear anything they shouldn’t as he went through the row getting things for himself and for the kids.  
“You’re exaggerating. We never did it that many times in one night.”  
“That’s because you had horrible stamina.” Eren said and Annie was laughing silently beside them. “All your effort went into the first round and even if there was a second it was lazy as fuck.”  
“I am not lazy.” Reiner argued. Bert turned to where he was at, waiting for toast. “Well, I bet Levi’s got a smaller dick than me.” Reiner said looking Levi up and down with jealousy. “With his height he’s gotta be packing a little one.” Levi quirked an eyebrow almost tempted to offer Reiner to go to the bathroom with him just to compare but Eren beat him to the punch.  
“He’s proportionate, plenty big enough to get the job done. And he knows how to use it better.” Eren smiled giving Bert a little wave knowing he was too far away to hear most of the conversation. “Good thing you found someone who’s so vanilla he doesn’t notice.” Eren stepped away then slapping the hand Annie offered him and winking at Levi as he went to go sit down.   
Reiner sputtered and looked like he wanted to say more to him and to Eren but Annie’s hand went onto his shoulder. “Leave it. You were hoping to tease him, and it backfired on you. Get over it.” She gave Levi a thumbs up while Reiner kept grumbling. He went over and pushed Bert into the table where he was kissing him hard and wrapping his arms around him tightly. Levi shook his head and followed Annie back to the table.  
“Honestly, sometimes I think he’s part caveman.” Annie said taking a seat next to Armin while Farlan had dropped his fork and stared with a shocked open mouth at the two men. Isabel giggled and waved her hand in front of him.   
“Pay no attention to the zoo animals.” Eren muttered, yelping when Armin kicked him under the table. “What was that for?”  
“Why do I feel like the increase of testosterone is somehow your fault?” Armin asked  
Eren shrugged innocently and put an arm around Levi’s chair. “Reiner wanted to know how our night was, so I told him. Now he’s mad because Levi’s better at playing twister than he is.” Hange cackled at Eren’s choice of explanation. Jean groaned and put his head down on the table muttering something about shoot him now.  
“Well, you don’t live with him and you know how competitive Reiner can be. Now they’re going to try and beat your twister score.” Armin went along with the terminology looking over at the kids who were primarily ignoring everyone at the table, Sasha trying to chew a much too large piece of waffle. Levi pulled her plate away from her and cut her pieces better pushing her juice closer to her and telling her to drink.  
After breakfast, they split up again, Jean and Marco offering to take Sasha and Mikasa tubing again while Eren and Levi stayed with Connie to shop. Levi picked up a couple small souvenirs to remember the trip and they all met for lunch before heading back onto the road again. For most of the trip, the kids slept, exhausted from the eventful days. Jean was asleep and leaning towards Marco, his head resting on his shoulder while Marco was reading on his phone. He saw Levi looking back at them and gave him a smile his face blushing as he did so. Levi made a light dinner for them while Eren unpacked the bags and made sure the snow gear could dry properly. The rest of their day being a lazy one as they watched movies and played a board game as a family. Marco left late that night, wishing everyone a good night and Jean was quick to go to bed to avoid any questions Eren or Levi might have for him. That night, Levi fell asleep in Eren’s arms after they had made love once more, feeling like he could really get used to this.


	37. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren has a surprise in store for Levi and the kids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one day. Before I move to my other works, I wanted to knock this one out as I've been wanting to get to this one for awhile now. Let me know what you think in the comments.

After months of trials Levi was finally able to see the end of the tunnel, even if all of it had not been like he had hoped. Elise had managed to get out with just a few minor charges as did both the arsonist and the man who had beat him. He was left completely dissatisfied, especially when the arsonist had gotten away with so much. It was one thing to hurt him and Eren, but another to risk his children’s lives. Eren had to hold him down while he seethed in the court room, ready attack the man, and he could tell by the way Eren had clutched his jaw and the grip on his shoulder that he was wanting to do the same thing.

Eren’s father had also wormed his way out of a seconded jail sentence, but at least he had been put under house arrest and was warned if he was found breaking the restraining orders on Levi, Eren, and the kids again, he would be inside a prison cell. Zeke had decided to cut ties with both of his parents when Dina had defended Grisha, and accused Eren and Levi of lying to make him look bad. Now him and Eren were trying to get to know one another better and he would come over occasionally for dinner.

Regardless of the outcome, Levi was glad to have the whole process behind him and he never wanted to see the inside of a court room again. Summer was almost here, and with the change in season’s came Marco’s approaching graduation. Marco had decided to stay local after graduation which had pleased his boyfriend more than the teen would admit. Jean had made him swear it wasn’t for his benefit and told Marco to go wherever he wanted. In the end, Marco had said he wasn’t interested in going anywhere else just yet and he rationalized the amount of money he’d save staying with his parents for a few more years rather than living in dorms or finding an apartment. He’d also be able to keep working at Sina’s while in school. Levi was glad he would be sticking around, as he and Jean had been inseparable for quite some time and he was very fond of the young man.

The months had also been spent moving Annie, Armin and Armin’s grandfather into their new home, then Hange and Erwin into theirs. Eren had found a place not far from Hange’s for Isabel and Farlan, and they were waiting for the house to close before moving in there, the two pregnant women elated to be in the same neighborhood. Hange’s pregnancy had remained difficult, but now she was almost to term and she and Erwin would soon be welcoming a spoiled little girl. Isabel had also found out the sex of her child, and they were going to be having a boy which pleased the pregnant duo to no end as well. Eren swore he heard the two making wedding plans for their future children. Eren had rolled his eyes at that, knowing it was rather unlikely, but the two would never be alone at least. Levi liked the idea of the two children growing up together. They would be as close as siblings based on how close the two couples had become over the past year.

Levi too was close to getting his GED. Hange had sat him down looking at brochures for the school Eren had gone to. He didn’t think he’d be ready for the summer semester but perhaps he could start in the fall. He looked at the business program options, talking to Eren about it one night when the two were in bed together. He’d asked if it was a good idea or not, and told Eren he’d hoped to own a shop like Hannes’ one day. Eren had encouraged him from then on, telling him he could absolutely do it.

The children were doing a lot better now that Eren had returned to their lives, the cloud that seemed to cover the house in a dampening mood had lifted when Eren had come back. He still kept his room at the hotel, but he only stayed there when he knew Erwin wouldn’t be around much with Hange. The nightmares had ended shortly after Eren had come home, and only occasionally did Levi wake to a sleepy eyed child looking at his bed or find Eren sleeping in another bedroom.

Levi had been surprised how easily Eren had been able to fit into their everyday lives. As though he’d always been there. He knew Eren had been worried about overstaying his welcome, but truly Levi never saw it that way and missed him on the nights he stayed at the hotel. He knew it was early in their relationship, but he was debating broaching the subject about finding a place together. He knew he probably should have before Eren fixed up his home, but had chickened out the times where he’d almost suggested it, not wanting Eren to think they were moving too fast or to choose to leave.

Today was supposed to be Eren’s house party where everyone would be able to see the completed new home for the first time. Only he, Erwin, and Zeke had stepped foot in it since the accident. Eren insisted he wanted it to be a surprise for Levi and the others. In some ways, Levi was disappointed the home was finally complete as it would mean that Eren’s nights with him wouldn’t be as frequent. Although he supposed they could go back to how it used to be when they would split the nights between the homes. Levi and Eren had both been a little worried how the kids would feel about going to the house again after the fire even though it had been completely remodeled since then.

Levi drove towards Eren’s home with the kids chattering in the back. They had been looking forward to the party, as Eren was reopening the pool today and had promised them smore’s too. The kids had caught on to swimming and were now able to swim without floaties. Levi had signed up Sasha and Mikasa for gymnastics after they had watched through one of the large windows as people practiced. Connie had even tried a couple lessons but decided it wasn’t for him and stuck to swimming with Eren on the nights the girls had their practices. He almost missed the house, not expecting a three story home where there had once been only a one story. From the way he heard tires screech in the car behind them, he knew Marco and Jean were surprised by it too. Around the entire home was a tall vinyl gate, the gate door currently open in the driveway to allow people to come in.

The driveway and garage had remained the same as Levi pulled up and parked in front of the bay doors still looking in awe at the massive home that was now there. Not only had the other stories been added, but the house had been expanded upon too. He could hear the kids sounds of amazement and was left speechless himself. A new structure was in the backyard. Where the bar and grill had once been behind the house, they now were in their own gazebo away from the home. The propane had been used to cause the fire so Levi wasn’t that surprised to see the change. Eren had hung lights from the gazebo’s roof and more lights went from the gazebo to the house and from the garage to the gazebo. Levi imagined it would look amazing that night when they were lit up. He got out of the car as Eren came out of the house and helped the kids grab their bags.

“Eren is this really your home?” Connie asked looking up at it.

“Yeah. It’s gone through quite a few changes. Come on inside. I’ll show you around while we wait.” Eren motioned for them to follow him inside.

The layout was different now too. What had once been the kitchen was now the living room with large glass doors looking out to the back yard. The wall that had separated the kitchen and living room was now gone with a dining room where the living room once was and in an alcove between the two rooms was the kitchen, with glass country doors separating it from the two areas. The kitchen was about the same size as it had been before, but had all new stainless steel appliances and had an old farmhouse look to it. He led them through the living room into the hallway which now led upstairs. The bathroom was smaller now with just a small stand in shower and updated colors and vanity. Off to where the spare bedroom used to be was an office area, and where the master bedroom was there was more living space a second couch was there along with a reading nook with large windows with sheer curtains so there was plenty of natural light flowing in.

Eren led them upstairs to show them the newest rooms and Levi was confused why there were so many bedrooms now. The new master bedroom took over the space above both the old bedroom's, with its own bathroom that was more like the old bathroom downstairs had been. The deep tub had been moved up here and there was a separate shower as well as two sinks. Down the hall were two more bedrooms both equal in size although the furniture in each of them was minimal. A bathroom was above the one downstairs, it was basic with a tub/shower combo. Up the next flight of stairs to the third floor, Levi realized its layout was smaller than the rest of the house, with three more bedrooms and a bathroom like the other one downstairs. One bedroom being larger than the others and had a balcony overseeing the back yard.

Eren talked about the home and all the new features like Levi had heard him talk about the ones he was selling. He was curious if it was out of habit or if he intended to sell this house now that it was complete. He hadn’t said anything about wanting to move, but Levi was still confused on the additional room. All of the bedrooms save for the master bedroom were plain white with dark hardwood flooring. The two bathrooms had also remained neutral as though Eren hadn’t gotten to painting them yet or was waiting on the next family to choose the colors. He led them back down to the first floor and Levi noticed the basement stair case was not where it used to be either. Off the living room was a small utility room and the stairway was in there. Levi noted that Eren had chosen to bring the washer and dryer upstairs and was trying to tell Eren he didn’t need to go downstairs if he didn’t want to. Eren chuckled already halfway down the steps beckoning the others to follow.

He’d turned the large area into a home gym and a game room, Connie rushing over to look at the arcade games that Eren had somehow acquired along with a pool table in the middle of the room and a bar down here. Mikasa opened the closet to find board games and the large tv down here had the consoles on the tv stand and all the games under them. Four tall windows were in each of the walls. Not only did this allow for more light to filter in, it was also done so anyone could get out from them. Levi guessed that had been done for a purpose, so Eren never felt trapped in there again.

Levi noticed along with the new windows downstairs, Eren had also installed a security system, occasionally seeing a sensors by the doors and windows and he’d noticed the security keypad by the back entrance. He imagined if he went outside he may see some new inclusions to the security system out there.

“Eren what room should we put our stuff in?” Sasha asked pulling on his tank top sleeve. He didn’t seem as bothered by his scars as he used to be and didn’t feel the need to hide them unless he was at work. He’d shown Levi some tattoo ideas to cover them up, wanting to turn them into blades with ivory and thorns growing over them. Levi had liked the design and had offered to go with him, but so far Eren had held off doing it.

Eren smiled and kneeled down so he was at her height. “Well, that’s up to the three of you.” He said and Connie looked over at him curiously. “Jean yours is the one with the balcony, but the rest of you get to decide which one you want.”

“Wait, hold up. We all have our own rooms?” Jean asked looking between Levi and Eren perplexed as though Levi had been keeping something from him. Levi felt as confused as Jean was and looked up at Eren expectantly. Eren ignored him and ushered the kids back up the stairs to pick their rooms.

“I wasn’t sure if you would like to stay boy/girl on the floors, or if Connie and Sasha wanted to be side by side instead.” Eren said ignoring the questions as he took them back to the second floor. “My room obviously.” He said pointing to the master bedroom, “And I figured Jean could use the larger bedroom upstairs, but any of the others are fair game. So go ahead and pick them, then we can talk about what colors you want or if you want a certain theme or something.” The kids squealed as they ran from room to room looking in each of them. Mikasa planted herself on the second floor, closest to the master bedroom, which also happened to have a large cat tree in it and Heichou was lounging on the window sill, purring in content as Mikasa pet him.

Levi pulled Eren toward the master bedroom shutting the door and taking a moment to notice how solid the door was. Eren noticed and rapped on it twice. “It’s fireproof and also solid wood.” He waggled his eyebrows at Levi. “Which means people won’t be able to hear anything.” He continued while Eren gave him more details about the house. “I made sure they used all fireproof materials and short of a damn bomb going off in this place, it’s going to hold up long enough for everyone to get out. All of the rooms also have rope ladders by the windows so people can get out that way, but we might have our hands full once they get to be teenagers. Because of all of the firerproofing, the rooms are also really soundproof. I tried blaring music up in Jeans room and you can barely hear it down here, and vice versa.

“Eren.” Levi said trying to get a word in while Eren continued to ramble about the security he’d put in the house and how the gate had a sensor on it, only allowing the cars that had the sensor on it in or the person would need to put in a key code. “Eren.” He said louder, this time grabbing Eren’s face and making him look at him. “What is all of this?” He asked. He saw Eren’s face falter and Eren looked down at the ground.

“You don’t like it do you?” Eren asked quietly, not meeting Levi’s gaze. “I wanted it to be a surprise but I should have asked you if this is something you even wanted. I can still put it on the market and maybe I’ll just find an apartment that has a pool…” His voice trailed off and he fought against Levi when Levi tried to make him look at him. He heard Eren’s breathing become shaky and he pushed Eren towards the bed so they would be level with one another.

“Are you crying?” Levi asked pulling on Eren’s hand when Eren tried to hide his face behind it. “Come on Eren. Talk to me. I don’t understand. I’m stupid remember?”

Eren gave a bark of a laugh and sniffled. “You’re not stupid.” Eren said. Levi gave a sigh of frustration and sat on his lap, putting his arms around Eren’s neck. “I thought, maybe, you’d want to move in, you know if I had the space for you and the kids. Once your lease is up of course.” Eren added still keeping his face hidden from Levi.

“You want me to move in with you?” Levi asked again his brain having a hard time keeping up with it.

“I even had Mike approve the layout. In case you said yes.” Eren continued. His voice was hollow and the last time he’d sounded like that was after his father had shoved him down a flight of stairs. “It’s just, we’ve done so well together these past couple months, and even before the fire I thought maybe someday-“ Levi cut him off by kissing him and pushing him back onto the bed, which he noted was new too, and felt more like the ones at the ski resort. It was bigger than his old one had been too.

“Yes. Yes a thousand times yes.” Levi said kissing Eren’s face and neck. When Eren moved away his hand and stared up at him in confusion he kissed his cheeks and wiped the tears away. “I thought about asking you too, but I was scared to when you were so excited about the remodel.”

“You mean it?” Eren asked his hands wrapping around Levi’s back. “You want to move in?”

Levi didn’t even think about teasing him. He just nodded excitedly. “I’ll have to talk to the kids of course, but I don’t see any of them saying no.” He kissed him again. “I can’t believe you did all of this, changed your house so much for us.” It was Levi’s turn to cry but his were out of joy and disbelief that he had found someone with as large of a heart as this man. This man who not only loved and accepted him, but loved all the children he’d taken under him also. “I’ll never be able to make this up to you.” Levi said wiping his own tears away.

“You do. Every day. I’ve never been as happy as I have been with you. And I know its soon, but I also know I don’t want anything else.”

The window was open to let the warm breeze in which also allowed them to hear another car pulling in, then Hange’s voice as she yelled at Erwin for keeping all this a secret from her. She was screaming for Eren and Levi and Levi reluctantly got off Eren’s lap. Eren readjusted himself in his tight swim trunks taking a minute to breathe and get his body under control more before he sat up and went to greet the couple.

Rather than follow, Levi went in search of the kids, looking to see where they had ended up. In the end, Connie and Sasha had taken the other two rooms on the third floor. Jean was sitting on the railing of his balcony with Marco waving and yelling to Armin and Annie who also just arrived.

Levi could hear Hange yelling happily as Eren gave her the tour, clapping her hands as she made it up the third flight of stairs, breathing heavily but also unable to contain her excitement. Both Erwin and Eren were telling her to calm down and breathe. Erwin leading her to the desk chair and demanding she sit.

“Oh my god Eren. It’s gorgeous. I’m honestly jealous. Had I known you could come up with a house like this I may have just bought land and had one built.” She fanned herself with her hand while she caught her breath. “Who’s room is this?” She asked taking a look around.

“Mine. I guess.” Jean said smiling from the balcony. Hange clapped her hands excitedly and looked over at Levi.

“Are you moving in? Please tell me you are or you’re going to break my little Eren’s heart.”

“As long as the kids are ok with it.” Levi nodded and Hange clapped again happily.

“Oh I’m so happy for you. We need to paint these rooms though. All this white is blinding.”

“I wanted to leave them as empty canvases so the kids could decide what they wanted.”

“Oooh. Good idea.” Hange said nodding along. “But why the extra bedroom?”

Eren shrugged. “Figured it would still be a good idea to have a spare. Two of the couches also pull out, and I could make the extra room into a little nursery for baby Smith and baby Church when we have to watch them.

Hange squealed and threw herself at Eren kissing him all over. “You are the sweetest boy ever.” She said happily tears forming in her eyes. “It’s perfect.”

Eren showed the others around the house while everyone helped with the party food. Zeke had come over with someone he introduced as his girlfriend. She was a quiet girl named Pieck. Mike and Nanaba arrived and Eren gave Nanaba a tour since Mike had already seen it. Moblit arrived with a girl named Nifa who ended up fitting in with the group rather easily.

It turned out to be like Hange’s birthday party without another argument between Reiner and Eren. The two had competed against one another in several games, but no one was thrown in the pool, and there wasn’t any fights to break up. Rather than a large bonfire, everyone sat around a firepit and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. Sasha watched hers with more concentration than Levi had seen in the girl, making sure her marshmallow was crisp to perfection and showing Eren her handiwork. Occasionally, Levi would see a flash go off and knew people were taking pictures this time, Hange mentioning something about needing to fill the living room walls with pictures now.

It was late when everyone had left. Marco had quietly asked Levi and Eren if he could stay the night and he’d gone up with Jean when they had said yes. No one ended up staying in the spare bedroom tonight and after Eren made sure the gate was closed and the security system was on, he and Levi went upstairs to Eren’s-no their- bedroom. The idea brought a smile to Levi’s face and he was still smiling stupidly when Eren came out of the bathroom.

“What’s that grin for?” Eren asked “I just got a shower so I can’t have anything on my face.”

“No. You’re face is as good looking as ever. I was just thinking, this is our room, our house now.”

Eren smiled and climbed onto the bed wearing only his towel. “You have no idea how happy I am to hear it said that way.”

“You really sure about all of this? I mean you have a couple months that you’d be able to back out if you wanted to.”

“Levi. I want this. I want this to be our home. I had it made so its our home and if you don’t want any of this, than I’m selling it. I’m all in Levi.”

“Then so am I.”


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi and Eren take a trip together

Levi finalized some last minute trip details with the use of Hange’s laptop while he was still at the hotel. He’d finished up with work and he’d need to pick up the kids soon, but had wanted to finish everything without Eren finding out until closer to the date. Armin had talked to him during all the mess with the trials. With old wounds being opened for both of them, Armin suggested that they get away just the two of them, and soon the anniversary of Eren’s mother’s death would approach, a dark time for Eren every year Armin had explained. After everything Eren had done for him and all the surprises he’d thrown at Levi as of late, he’d wanted to do something in return. He’d been saving up for a small trip for them. It wouldn’t be anything fancy, his budget wouldn’t allow for much, but it would get them out of town and away from their problems for a long weekend. He’d made plans for all the kids weeks prior. Sasha was staying at Krista’s, Connie and Mikasa were staying with Armin and Annie, and Jean was going to Marco’s. Armin and Annie had offered to watch all of them, but Levi figured this would be easier, and with Hange’s due date approaching, he hadn’t wanted her to have any additional added stress. He was worried Eren wouldn’t want to go because Hange was so close, but Hange had reassured him that she would handle it, and Levi had picked a spot that was a 2 hour drive away. Should any emergency happen they’d still be able to come home.

He hadn’t decided how he’d approach the subject with Eren yet. He hoped this wouldn’t backfire on him and the brunette get upset with him. As the date approached, Levi found himself becoming more nervous, and he found it harder to keep it from Eren until the right time.

Levi heard the door opening and hurried to close the screen, relaxing when Hange walked in.

“Are you watching porn on my computer?” She teased, walking (waddling) over and rubbing her stomach as she looked at the site over Levi’s shoulder. “Ooh, swimming with dolphins! He’ll love it. I’m jealous.”

“Well, once baby Smith is born, we could go back again. Or we can watch the baby while you and Erwin go.”

“Hmm maybe, but I think it will be awhile before you can pry this baby from us.” Hange said with delight sitting down. Levi had never understood the term ‘glowing’ during pregnancy until Hange and Isabel both entered their final trimester. Hange’s face especially was always warm and she was constantly touching her stomach and talking to the baby. She never complained, even though the pregnancy had been much harder than Isabel’s had, but Levi assumed it was because she was happy the baby was healthy. The closest to a complaint she had was when she broke down one day, thinking Erwin would never find her attractive again. Levi had been able to calm her down that day, and Erwin had also reassured her he found her beautiful now and would still love her stretch marks and all. “Any other plans?” Hange asked bringing him back to the here and now.

“Not really. I figured I’d play it by ear. There’s a lot to do, and I found some different places to go, but I didn’t want to plan too much and have him feel guilty if he wasn’t up for any of it. I don’t have anything planned _the_ day, in case he wants to just stay in, but I also have a backup plan if he wants to just forget.”

“I’m so glad he has you darling.” Hange said, rubbing his head when he took a seat next to her. “Reiner got into a fight with him one year. Told him he should be over it by now and it was a long time ago.” Hange sighed. “Eren disappeared for a week that year.”

Levi clicked his tongue in annoyance. It seemed as though both men had grown up some, but Levi disliked hearing about their relationship. It hadn’t sounded healthy for either of them, and sometimes he was surprised Eren seemed to forgive and forget so easily. “You don’t have to worry about that with me Hange.” He assured her. He looked at his own hands. “I don’t remember mom as much as I wish I did. It’s more feelings than anything now. I’ve forgotten her voice, and I worry I’ll finally forget what she looks like. With her, death was a gradual thing and I’d been too young to really understand it. Still the years don’t make me miss her any less. Same goes for the kids. So I get where he’s coming from, and there’s no time limit or right or wrong way to grieve.”

“Do you need anything for the trip? Do you need any extra money?” Hange asked, her eyes watering as though she were on the verge of tears and trying desperately to change the subject.

“No. We should be fine. I couldn’t get us a really nice hotel, and we won’t be getting any four star meals, but I’m sure we’ll manage just the same.”

“Eren wouldn’t like any of that anyways.” Hange said watching Levi as he stood. “Don’t hesitate to call if something comes up though. We’re more than happy to help.”

“I won’t, and you just promise to call if anything changes with the baby. Eren won’t forgive himself if he misses something.”

“I will. I’ll be sure to call as soon as I can, but lets keep our fingers crossed Baby Smith cooperates for a couple more weeks.”

“I take it you’re still deciding on a name?”

Hange rolled her eyes. “Yes. I’m sure we’ll still be fighting about it until we have to sign the birth certificate. Erwin likes Hannah Marie.” Hange stuck her tongue out. “He dated a Marie for awhile. I’m ok with Hannah though.”

“What about Hannah Rose then?” Levi threw in a suggestion. He’d looked at a baby name book with Isabel while she tried to come up with her boys name. He’d looked at the girls ones just out of curiosity. “Or what’s a name you like?”

“Hmm, Rose is nice.” Hange said tapping her chin. “I wanted something more original, and Erwin didn’t like the idea of me wanting her middle name to be Bean.”

Levi hid his reaction to the name, hoping Erwin won the fight. “Maybe that can be your nickname for her.” He offered in the hopes the child wouldn’t have to grow up hating her name.

“Compromise!” Hange agreed clapping her hands. “I’ll see what Erwin thinks. In case I don’t see you before you go have fun and stay safe.” He had taken off a couple days before they went so he could pack and make sure everything was done here before they left.

That night Eren came home late from work. He kissed Levi’s cheek while Levi was helping the kids with their homework before bed. He’d wanted to make sure they were ahead so they wouldn’t need to do any assignments while he and Eren were gone. Sasha and Connie had a science project coming up and he was having them come up with ideas of what they wanted to do. Eren went into the kitchen, pulling out the leftovers Levi had set aside for him and warming them up.

“You’re starting to spoil me. I’ll never be able to do frozen dinners again soon.” Eren said while he waited for the microwave.

Levi shuddered. “Good. That food isn’t for human consumption. I wouldn’t even give it to Heichou.” He looked back at Eren. “How you still look good eating that is beyond me.”

“Well, pretty soon I’m going to get fat.” Eren patted his stomach. “I already feel like I gained as much weight as Hange during her pregnancy.”

Levi stood up and went to the kitchen to grab a drink. He hugged Eren briefly before hearing the microwave go off. “I’m ok with a dad bod.” He said quietly before letting him go. “But as much as you swim and work out, I don’t see that happening soon.”

“Maybe I’m still trying to impress you.” Eren noted grabbing the food and setting it on the counter. He stirred it up before eating a bite humming his approval. “Yep, definitely going to get fat.”

Levi smirked to himself as he went back to the kids. Eren joined them when he was done eating, brainstorming the science project with Sasha and Connie. Eventually he grabbed his laptop and started looking up ideas. Levi chewed his inner cheek while he watched. He didn’t really understand some of the things Eren said. His school never made him do the scientific method or create some hypothesis.

“Armin was a science dweeb growing up.” Eren said when Levi voiced some of his concerns. “So I would be his assistant a lot when we would try things. Usually making some huge mess in the process.” He smiled to himself thinking about one of the projects. “Hange is also big on the sciences and she helped me with my high school science projects every year. Big thing with science projects is just pacing them and not waiting until the last minute.” When they had picked their topics, Levi sent them to get ready for bed. The multiple bathrooms making their bedtime routine much easier. He came downstairs and didn’t find Eren where he expected, finding him outside when he looked out the back yard windows. Eren was doing laps in the pool. Levi went to the back yard and, once he took off his socks and rolled up his pant legs, he took a seat at the edge of the pool, the water the perfect temperature for this time of year. He kicked his legs lightly while he watched Eren swim. He always found it fascinating to watch him. Eren had taught him and the kids to swim, but Levi had none of the same grace and speed that Eren had with his years of experience. Eren changed his swim strokes effortlessly and came back up for air after a few laps, pushing his hair back out of his way. It wasn’t long before his eyes found Levi and he swam toward him lazily.

“Don’t stop on my account.” Levi said pushing back some stray hairs that had fallen over Eren’s face. “I was enjoying the show.”

“You could join me.”

Levi pointed to his clothes. “Not exactly wearing the correct attire you know.”

“So go inside and get your suit on, or just wear your boxers.” Eren took a step back so Levi could see him better. “That’s all I did.”

Levi rolled his eyes. “You own about 6 pairs of swim trunks.”

“Yeah, but they’re all upstairs.” Eren chuckled. He reached for Levi’s shirt. “I’m fat and lazy.”

“Tch.” Levi knew the last statement was a lie. He reached for the hem of his shirt watching Eren’s eyes follow his actions. Levi decided to tease him a little, so he took the shirt off slowly before standing and removing his pants at the same speed. Eren’s eyes never left his body, moving between meeting Levi’s gaze to looking at the newly exposed skin. When Levi was down to his boxers, he took a seat on the edge again and Eren pulled him gently into the water with him. They were at the shallow end where Levi could still reach the bottom, but since he was holding onto Eren, he had no need to try. Eren kissed him while moving around in the pool before Levi pushed him away gently so he could swim on his own. After learning from Eren, he’d discovered why the brunette liked swimming so much. It was easy to get lost, and the feeling of weightlessness was a new experience. Levi personally preferred diving under the water more than the laps Eren did, but he’d never been on a swim team before. He came back up for air and looked for Eren who was leaning against the pool wall. He made it over to him easily, wrapping himself around Eren once more. He could see the melancholy in Eren’s face, a dark cloud seemed to follow him the closer his ‘dark day’ approached. Levi chewed his inner cheek, trying to come up with a way to approach telling Eren about their weekend plans. He wasn’t sure if the better approach was to come clean and tell Eren he’d talked to Armin, or to pretend like he didn’t know and this was Levi’s decision.

He took too long thinking about it and Eren gently stroked the cheek he was chewing on. “What’s wrong Love?”

“I could ask you the same thing.” Levi said gesturing to the pool they were in. “You don’t usually do so many laps unless you’re trying to think.”

“Oh? Think you have me figured out already?” Eren smirked and kissed Levi’s cheek. “Guess I’m a creature of habit.” He sighed. “This time of year is always hard for me. I’m sorry. I’m trying not to let it get to me as much.”

“Armin may have mentioned it.” Levi admitted and Eren rolled his eyes muttering ‘of course he did’. “I thought you could use a change in scenery, a chance to relax.” When Eren didn’t say anything Levi pressed on. “I made us reservations for the weekend, just us, so you don’t have to worry about the kids.”

“And where are they going while we’re gone?”

“That’s taken care of too.” Levi assured him telling him his plans for the kids. Eren only nodded and Levi began to worry he wouldn’t like his plans. Maybe he should have talked to Eren first.

“Where are we going?” Eren asked and Levi perked up a little bit.

“The beach.” Levi said. “I’ve never actually been there, and there’s a lot to do along the shore. We’ll only be a couple hours away just in case too.” Levi looked down. “I had to get a cheap hotel, but I figured we may not be in there very much, and well working at Hange’s hotel, I’m pretty good at finding good ones.”

“That’s fine. Spending a lot of money on hotels are a waste most of the time. Especially when you’re not planning on spending much time in it.” He gripped onto Levi tighter pulling him close and kissing his neck. “How much time do you plan on spending in this hotel room?”

Levi sighed, moving his head so Eren had better access to his neck. “Uh. I figured we’d decide when we get there, but the trip is for you.”

“Mmmm, a weekend without worrying about invaders.” Eren smiled next to Levi’s neck before pulling on his earlobe with his teeth. “Could be entertaining.” He moved his head back so he was looking at Levi. “I can’t really guarantee I’ll be very good company though.”

“If you end up wanting to do nothing that day, we’ll just stay in and watch tv. We don’t have to, but I thought you might like a distraction from it. And we can visit her grave before we leave. Going a couple days before should mean you don’t run into Grisha.”

Eren tensed at the mention of his father. “Yeah, getting away is probably for the best. Who knows what he’ll be like that day. It will be the first time he’s out of prison, and I don’t really trust his restraining order or that ankle bracelet to stop him if he’s really in a mood.” He pressed his head into Levi’s shoulder, this time breathing in deeply. “The trip sounds great. Thank you.”

Levi smiled and rubbed Eren’s back. “After everything you’ve done for me and the kids, this is nothing. Besides, I still feel guilty I wasn’t able to do much for your birthday.”

“Don’t worry about it. I was happy with what I got. I don’t need expensive gifts or anything extravagant. Normally I’d say I don’t need a trip like this either, but this time, it was a really good idea.” His hand came behind Levi’s neck holding his head in place while he kissed him.

“Ugh. Get a room.” Levi pushed back as soon as he heard Jean while Eren just glared at the teen. “I hope you guys don’t ever do anything in there.”

Eren stuck his tongue out. “I do what I want. It’s my pool.”

“How was work?” Levi asked before Jean could retort.

“Fine. Busy, but otherwise good. Is there any food left?”

“There’s leftovers in there for you.”

“Thanks. Go upstairs if you’re continuing all that. I do have the balcony you know.”

“And suddenly I’m regretting putting it in for you.” Eren muttered. Levi chuckled especially when Eren started to whine when Levi got out. He grabbed the towels from their holder and wiped off before wrapping the towel around his waist and grabbing his clothes. He heard Eren getting out too grumbling about invaders.

\---------------

Eren still wasn’t sure this trip was a good idea. It was hard to tell Levi no though, not after he’d put so much effort into it, and for him no less. He was just worried he’d end up ruining the trip. Levi even had packed everything for them, so all Eren needed to do was grab a couple last minute things. He talked to Hange in the morning, and she promised everything would be fine while they were gone. He made her promise to call if anything happened and not keep it from them just because they were on their trip. He stood in the bathroom, grabbing his toiletries and his medication before meeting Levi in the bedroom. The kids had been picked up already, so they were able to leave whenever they wanted to. Levi was sitting on the edge of the bed, putting the address of the hotel into his phone. He looked up when Eren walked in, putting their stuff in the front pocket of their luggage.

“Is that everything?” Levi asked looking at the bag.

“I think so. If there’s anything we’re forgetting we can always pick it up somewhere there.” He picked up the luggage and held out his hand for Levi. “Ready copilot?”

“Yep. I have snacks in the kitchen for on the road.” He pecked Eren on the lips. “I already made sure the kids didn’t leave anything on.”

The two got into the car and Eren let Levi pick the channel as he drove out of the garage. He made sure the alarm was set before they left and pulled out onto the road. While they drove, Levi would start singing to himself quietly and Eren joined him after a short time. By the time they were near the shoreside the two were pelting out songs together, and Eren’s heart felt lighter. He turned down the music as they got into the small town, following the directions to the hotel. Levi was looking out in awe at everything and Eren had to remind himself that so much of this was new to the raven. He wanted to show him and the kids everything that they missed. He found an empty spot in the parking lot of the hotel and they made their way to the front desk.

“Reservation under Ackerman.” Levi told the lady behind the desk. Eren had to hold back a laugh because Levi’s eyes barely made it over the counter. He had to reach for the key cards and thanked the lady as he led the way to their room. He opened the door and immediately began examining the place. Eren assumed it was out of habit and just his OCD anyways. Eren rolled the luggage near the king size bed taking a seat on the edge while Levi conducted his inspection.

“Does it meet your requirements?” Eren asked when it looked like Levi was almost done.

“Could be cleaner, but I don’t see any bugs or anything. No stains anywhere.” He opened the luggage and started putting everything away.

“Levi, we’re going to be here for 2 days.”

“So. I’m not wearing wrinkly clothes.”

Eren smiled and let Levi do his thing. He stood up and looked out the windows at the ocean. “What do you want to do? Stay in here and relax for awhile or go out and see everything?” Eren wanted to explore. He’d been to the ocean before with Armin when they were younger, but hadn’t been here before. There seemed to be lots of shore side stores in the small oceanside town when they had drove through. There was a ferris wheel near the shoreline and Eren had all intentions of dragging Levi out there come nightfall.

“You’re the one who drove.” Levi said behind him. Eren could hear drawers being open and closed. “I wouldn’t mind going out and finding something to eat. Then we can decide from there.”

Eren nodded mostly to himself as Levi was still working. He grabbed the backpack he’d brought and stuffed it with a fresh set of clothes, their swim trunks, and some towels, just in case they decided to stay out they wouldn’t need to come back to get anything. He slung the bag onto his back, waiting for Levi to be finished. Levi took their toiletries into the bathroom and nodded at Eren. “Ok. I’m better now.”

Eren smiled and kissed his forehead. He grabbed onto Levi’s hand and walked out of the hotel with him. When the two got to the street they decided which direction to walk and started to go that way. They found the shops and got some food from a vendor, finding a place to sit near the beach and eat their food. Afterwards, they looked around some more, buying a couple souvenirs for the kids and renting bikes to ride around on. Eren loved it all, the smell of the ocean in the air, the freedom they had without a care in the world. Everything that plagued them momentarily suspended while they rode around and found things to do. Eventually they ended up on the beach and changed in the bathrooms nearby. Eren laid out one of the towels and put his bag on it, then rushed to the ocean waters like a child. He made it out to the waves and dove into the water feeling that sense of peace he always did in the water. He came back up for air and looked back toward the shore. Levi was taking a little more care than he had. He wasn’t a strong swimmer yet, so it made sense. He kept getting pushed back by the waves so Eren swam back towards him.

“You need help love?” Eren asked standing up and protecting Levi from a wave coming in.

“It feels different.” Levi replied and Eren had to be reminded this was all new to Levi. He could tell Levi seemed uncomfortable looking at the water with disgust. He supposed for a clean freak like Levi, the ocean may not be so nice. He pulled Levi towards him, swimming with Levi holding onto him with ease, until they were no longer able to touch the sandy beach and the waves lulled them more than pushed. Levi held onto him while Eren treaded to stay afloat. He was happy to pull the smaller man closer coaxing him to wrap himself around him. Levi yelped when something touched their legs and he gripped onto Eren tighter.

“You don’t have to force yourself to stay out here. You can go back to the beach.” Eren said kissing his cheek and tasting the salt that resided there. “The ocean’s not for everyone.”

“I don’t like not knowing what’s under there.” Levi said looking down in the water. He looked out at the waves next. “and what if one of those hits us?”

“It’s a calm day today, there won’t be any big waves, and as long as you swim with them, not against them you’ll be ok.”

Levi hummed while he looked out seemingly lost in thought. Eren didn’t mind the silence. As long as Levi was comfortable enough to stay he was content. It was a short while later Levi tapped his shoulder “what’s that?” Eren turned his head to see what Levi was pointing to, and saw a boat speeding through the waters far out to sea.

“Oh that’s parasailing.” Eren said looking at the person flying high above the boat with a parachute. “It’s kind of like flying a kite I guess. The boat pulls them along and they get pulled into the air.” He saw Levi’s eyes lighting up as he watched. “We can try to find a place that does them if you want to try it.”

“Have you ever done it before?” Levi asked, his eyes not leaving the boat and the parasailer.

“No. But it has always been on my list of things to try.” He bumped his head onto Levi’s. “Want to try it together?”

Levi nodded, not able to hide the smile he had. Eren smiled in return. After a few minutes Levi seemed to get more comfortable in the water and let Eren go, swimming a short distance away. Eren kept an eye on him making sure Levi was ok, and eventually the raven returned to shore. He told Eren to take all the time he wanted and he’d be on the beach when he was ready. Once he saw Levi walking toward their things, Eren dove back under the water and got lost in swimming once more. After what would have been a few laps in his pool and noticing how far out he managed to get he decided he was done for the day, swimming back toward Levi and smiling at the kids playing near the shore. Maybe they’d have to bring the kids next time. He laughed to himself thinking about how much Levi would be complaining about all the sand they would manage to collect. He walked up to Levi who was sitting on the towel, absentmindedly pushing the sand near it into a hill.

“Sand is gross.” Levi said as Eren sat cross legged next to him. “I don’t mind the water so much as the sand. I’ve barely touched it, and it seems like it’s everywhere.”

“There’s places to wash off by the bathrooms.” Eren said, digging through the bag to grab a towel to dry off. Come on, lets get cleaned up and see if we can book a parasail.”

The two cleaned up and put on their fresh clothes and went back into town. They had returned their bikes when they’d gone to the shore and now were walking around lazily. Eren found a booth he was looking for, one that offered rentals and passes. He looked at the board and suggested they try kayaking too. Levi nodded but tried to backtrack when he realized how much the parasailing would be. Eren shook his head and pulled out his credit card. He was in a ‘fuck it’ mood and wanted to have some fun, and he’d had a good year with his home sales so he could afford to spend some. He bought them the hour kayak rental and the parasailing, ignoring Levi as he complained about the money.

“This trip is supposed to be for you damn it.” Levi hissed as they walked away. “You shouldn’t have to pay for anything.”

“Shouldn’t I be allowed to do what I want if the trips for me?” Eren asked. “If it bothers you that much you can pay me back later. We’ll be living again soon anyways so what’s mine is yours.” He pulled Levi along as they walked. “Come on, all that swimming has made me starved.”

They found a small restaurant to eat at and Levi’s displeasure faded away while they ate and talked. They decided to use their kayak tickets today as Levi said they had something going on tomorrow morning, and Eren had booked the parasailing for the afternoon. They walked around some letting the food settle before going to get the kayaks. They both listened as the person explained how they worked and helped them both find a correct size life vest. They had lockers where they were able to store their belongings, and the woman held the kayaks still for them as they got inside. Before long they both were able to move without turning into a circle and splashing themselves with water. They stayed near the docks, not wanting to go too far when they only had the hour, but still explored and floated along. Eren was looking toward a group of people on the boats when he heard Levi yelp again and turned back, worried Levi had fallen in. Instead, a seal/sea lion? Eren wasn’t sure which to be honest, was nudging Levi’s kayak. Eren looked to see more of them and one came close to his. He reached out and the creature rose up enough that he was able to touch it. He saw Levi tentatively reaching for the one playing with his kayak too and Eren quickly pulled out his phone taking a shot of Levi and the close up of the one near him.

“Frank! Leave the kayakers alone!” Someone yelled near the docks. He tossed in a couple fish and the group left them. “Fucking Frank. Not everyone has food you know.” The man said shaking his head. He waved to them and Eren waved back, pushing his kayak over to Levi who was looking towards where the group had went.

“You good?” Eren asked.

“That was pretty cool. Once I realized he wasn’t trying to capsize the thing I was good.” He smiled at Eren. “I got to touch him.”

When their hour was up they returned the kayaks and went toward the area where the ferris wheel was. There they found carnival games and other rides. The two spent some time trying out the games and ended up with a few small prizes that they now were carrying around. They rode on all the rides and ate junk food in between watching as dusk settled in and the lights began to turn on. Eren pulled Levi toward the ferris wheel and the two of them hopped on, sitting close to one another with their prizes pressed next to them.

“The view is amazing.” Levi said as they rose higher and higher. He looked out to sea and then back at the glittering town. “The ocean looks so calm right now.”

Eren hummed his agreement also taking in the sights. It had been everything he’d hoped for as soon as he saw the ferris wheel. “Thank you Levi. I really needed this. It’s been amazing so far.”

Levi looked at him, his eyes dancing in the lights around them. “I’m glad you like it. I was really worried if I made the right decision or not.” He grabbed onto Eren’s hand. “We can make this a thing, we could go every year if you want. Or we could go different places every year.”

“I just like the idea of us being together long enough for this to become a thing.” Eren admitted. “I still wake up days and think everything’s just been a dream.”

Levi nodded. “Sometimes I wake up and have to remind myself we’re not in some abandoned house, or I’ll be dreading have to go to work at the brothel again until I remember that’s all in the past now.” Levi looked away. “I don’t know if I could ever go back to how it was before.”

“You’ll never need to. Even if something happens to us, you’ll never have to go back to the way things were.” He turned Levi’s head so he was looking at him and kissed him softly.

Levi kissed him back, they both pulled away before it became anything more than just a gentle kiss. But both of them could tell it was leading to something more. “How about we go back to the hotel?” Levi asked, his eyes expressing what he wanted without him having to say the words. Eren nodded and kissed him once more.

They waited for the ride to end and got off making sure they had everything then made their way back to the hotel. They walked at a leisurely pace, but there was an undercurrent of urgency that built as they walked back. When they finally reached the hotel, Eren pushed Levi into the wall as soon as they were in their room, kicking the door shut with his foot and dropping all their things to the ground. Levi’s arms wrapped around his waist and Eren could feel him tugging on his shirt while he kissed him, pressing together so there was no space between them. His own hands were in Levi’s hair and trailing along his face and neck. He heard a whimper from Levi when he touched the sensitive spot behind his ears and released him from the kiss only to nibble on the earlobe. Levi gasped clutching onto Eren’s shirt crinkling it. Eren chuckled to himself thinking about Levi complaining of wrinkles. Levi pushed him away and ripped his shirt off leading him backwards towards the bed. Eren landed on the mattress and soon Levi was crawling on top of him, his hands holding Eren’s down while he kissed Eren’s chest and neck.

“You still taste salty.” Levi said, his tongue in the groove between one of his muscles while he looked up at Eren.

“You’re probably going to taste sand too if you keep doing that.” Eren said, not really wanting Levi to stop. “Maybe we should take this in the shower.”

“Later.” Levi said, his voice almost a growl. His grip tightened on Eren’s wrists while he continued to lick and nibble where he pleased. Eren could easily break free, but who would want to when he had everything he wanted? He closed his eyes, getting lost in the sensations trying to keep his sighs and moans quiet so as not to disturb the other hotel residents. Levi’s hips ground into his own but he made no move to let Eren go so they could continue removing clothing. “You’re so perfect.” He said quietly. Eren jolted and looked down when Levi’s tongue was running across his old burn scars. Normally, Levi didn’t touch them, not since he knew what they were from. The only times were over clothing or when he did so accidentally. Eren sighed as his tongue and lips gave that area their attention. Levi’s eyes were on him as though to ask if it was ok, and Levi’s grip on his arms had lessened. Eren took his newfound freedom and grabbed onto Levi’s ass with one hand while the other gently held Levi’s head in place. Levi’s tongue and lips alternated as he kissed and licked each scar, his tongue then tracing the outline of his tattoo. Eren moaned unable to hold back the sound when his tongue went along his ribcage. He grabbed Levi’s shirt pulling it off of him and turned his limited attention to their pants since it seemed that Levi wasn’t going to do anything about them any time soon. He pulled on Levi’s first and Levi was at least willing to wiggle out of them. Eren had a harder time with his own, lifting both of them up with his hips as he pulled on the fabric.

“Come on Levi help a guy out here.” Eren chuckled and Levi finally stopped long enough to help Eren remove his pants. Levi was straddled on Eren’s lap, and Eren bit down on his neck, listening to the soft growl from Levi when he did so. He pushed himself onto the bed completely, entangling his legs with Levi’s as they made out. Levi started to grind into him while they kissed releasing him and shuffling off the bed. “No come back.” Eren complained reaching for him.

Levi chuckled lightly, kneeling down and going through their luggage. “I’m not going anywhere. Lube and condoms are important though.” Eren huffed. He didn’t think they were very important at the moment, but he knew the raven was right. Levi climbed back on top of him kissing his pouting lips. “Don’t be like that. If you hadn’t attacked me as soon as we walked in the door I would have grabbed them.”

“You didn’t seem to mind.” Eren winked at him, repositioning on the bed so he was more comfortable. He drew his legs up while Levi uncapped the lube.

“No. I never mind when you’re like that.” Levi agreed smiling back and kissing him while he inserted the first finger. Eren moaned into Levi’s mouth and Levi inserted a second after a few more strokes. Eren pushed against him, growing impatient. His nails digging into Levi’s back. Levi was always cautious though and he sat back unwrapping the condom while inserting a third digit. Once he was satisfied he withdrew his hand and used the extra lube to cover the condom. He went in slowly and Eren sat up to meet him in the middle, the two moving together in ecstasy. They kept a steady pace, but as Eren’s stomach began to tighten he moved more erractically. Levi’s breathing became more labored as he drove in harder like Eren demanded. Eren came first and Levi followed shortly after, both of them falling onto the bed in a heap while they recovered.

Eren’s eyes began to close from exhaustion, but Levi began to tap his shoulder. “Don’t you dare fall asleep yet. We need to get cleaned up.”

“Why bother? I plan on having more than one round tonight, I just need a nap.”

“Come on.” Levi sat up and pulled Eren with him. “I don’t want to wake up to gritty ass sand and cum.” He rolled off the condom and disposed of it in the bathroom. Eren grabbed the lube and condoms as he got up, just in case. He let Levi get the water going in the shower while he stood against the vanity sleepily. He came over when beckoned, standing behind Levi under the stream of water. Levi rinsed them both off and put on his body wash while Eren massaged shampoo into his scalp. Levi then scrubbed Eren’s body and Eren shampooed his own hair before Levi rinsed them both off. They both put conditioner in their hair letting it set for a minute while they made out again.

“Thought you were tired.” Levi said pushing Eren back.

“I was, but you got me back up.” He looked down at their members. “In more ways than one.” Levi rolled his eyes at him, but didn’t have much else to say when Eren dropped to his knees and began to suck him off. Levi gasped and moaned, his hand going to Eren’s hair while Eren worked. Eren hummed happily, enjoying the taste of Levi’s clean dick in his mouth, even if he’d occasionally get a little bit of soap taste too. He felt Levi’s legs begin to shake and his grip in his hair get tighter so he knew Levi was close. He took in all of Levi, his nose resting in the small tuft of hair there and Levi came undone once more. Eren swallowed all of it, letting him go with a loud pop. Levi was using the wall to keep himself steady. He turned around so he was facing the wall, pushing out his ass to Eren. Eren didn’t need any more hints than that. He reached out of the shower to grab what he needed and returned biting Levi’s shoulder and giving his ass a gentle smack that had Levi moaning again. Eren prepped Levi all the while sucking on his neck and back. Levi hadn’t recovered from his second orgasm yet, but he was still pushing back into Eren’s hand. Eren took it as his cue that Levi was ready and put on a condom entering him slowly. He was always careful with Levi when he was on top, never wanting him to associate their sex for anything like he’d experienced before. He always kept himself in check, and left the rougher sex for when he was bottom. While he was in Levi he spoke to him, telling him how beautiful he was, how much he enjoyed Levi clamping down on him. He rubbed his ass as he held him in place. The water was beginning to chill so Eren went faster, surprised when he felt Levi clench around him tightly and hear him moan while he came against the bathroom wall. Eren came again shortly after that, now truly exhausted. With one final rinse they both got out of the shower, Levi now looking like his soul had left him. Eren smirked, he enjoyed seeing his boyfriend completely wrecked. He held onto Levi as they walked back, the raven barely able to stand on his own now. Eren pulled back the sheets and set Levi down moving around the other side and turning off the lights. They fell asleep wrapped in each others arms.

\----------

They both ended up sleeping in the next morning, and had another round of entertainment before Levi insisted they get up so he could give Eren his surprise. Eren complained about getting up, but followed Levi’s orders. Levi didn’t bother with pants today, putting on a pair of his swim trunks and a tank top. Eren was dressed similar, packing a bag with a change of clothes and towels for later. They stopped downstairs eating some of the continental breakfast that was provided. Levi debated suggesting Hange to add it to her hotel, as it seemed to be pretty popular here. Maybe then Hange would get a different clientele. Today they rented segways and Levi was amazed the thing stayed up so easily. He was happy they wouldn’t have to walk around as much this way. Their several rounds had left both of them feeling sore. Levi led the way, following the map on his phone to their location and they found the nearest drop off for the Segway before finishing the trek on foot. It was a rescue facility that took in injured dolphins. The ones that could be rehabilitated they sent back out, while others wouldn’t be able to survive in the wild. These ones were who they were swimming with and he turned to see the joy in Eren’s face once he realized what was happening. After that he was like a kid in the candy store, practically hopping from foot to foot waiting to get into the water. He got in carefully, not wanting to disturb the dolphins and almost squealed with glee as one came up to him. Levi wished he’d brought a camera or his phone in so he could record the look on Eren’s face. By the time Levi was in the water. Eren was gently holding onto one of the dolphins fins and swimming beside it. The two began to mimic eachother and Levi laughed while he watched. One of the dolphins bopped him with his head and he tentatively reached out, feeling the texture of the dolphin’s skin. Another one came up, and Levi got the mental image of a jealous dog demanding to be petted because another one was getting attention. He noticed the new ones’ back fin was missing, a prosthetic in place so it could still swim. He pet it too, finding the whole experience surreal. Both of them had a hard time leaving when their time was up and Levi knew it was something he’d never forget.

They stopped at a cozy restaurant for lunch before going for their parasailing trip. Levi listened to all the instructions carefully, but started getting nervous as the staff helped them into the equipment. They were told to sit back on a platform and they’d be lifted up slowly. Levi tried to not let his nervousness show, but Eren gripped onto his hand giving it a reassuring squeeze before they were lifted up. They felt the pull and shortly after they were airborn. All the fear and anxiety went away as he looked around from their spot in the sky. Eren was holding his arms out as though he were flying a serene smile on his face. Levi did the same. He’d never flown before, and he felt at peace being so high in the sky. He let out a happy hoot and kissed Eren’s cheek as soon as they had landed back on the platform.

“That was amazing!” Levi said and Eren agreed, giving the crew an extra tip for the experience. They spent some time after that lazing on the beach side before going back to the hotel to clean up and change for dinner. Levi found a nice restaurant nearby and they drove rather than walking this time. They sat at a quiet booth and talked about their experiences that day.

“I don’t know if we should even tell the kids. I have a feeling they’re going to get mighty jealous we went without them.” Eren said with a smile. Levi was happy Eren seemed so relaxed and happy on the trip, and he knew it had been a good idea to bring him. Eren would have holed himself at home otherwise. After dinner they went back to the hotel and Eren found a movie for them to watch as they lazed in bed. Lazing soon led to touching and Levi no longer cared about the movie at all as he was lost in his boyfriends arms once more.

The next day was a quiet one for them. Eren didn’t seem to want to go anywhere and Levi didn’t press him to. They lazed in bed watching whatever shows they could find. Levi’s eyes visibly twitched while watching an episode of hoarders and Eren took pity on him changing the channel and finding a romance movie.

“You can go out on your own you don’t need to stay here.”

“Be quiet. I’m not going anywhere.” Levi shhed his boyfriend with a kiss. “I actually don’t mind a lazy day like this. With everything always going on with work or the kids, I think the last time I just stayed in bed like this was when I was sick. And I wasn’t really coherent then to enjoy it.” He pulled Eren close. “Besides today doesn’t have to be about me being happy or not.” He shuffled so they were laying looking at one another. “How bout this, why don’t you tell me stories about your mom, and I’ll tell you ones I remember about mine.”

Eren nodded and the two exchanged tales from their childhood, laughing and crying happy tears reminiscing loved ones. Levi had less to tell, forgetting his mother a lot over the years, but he did notice talking about her made him remember things he hadn’t. When they got hungry they ordered pizza and Levi ran to the grocery store getting them some drinks and ice cream. The two sat in bed and ate, something Levi normally would not be able to tolerate, but he enjoyed it this one time. He balked when Eren rubbed ice cream on his nose and proceeded to lick it off, which lead to other uses for the ice cream and Levi was really glad they never tried this at home. He stripped the bed and got new sheets from one of the maids before they piled back into the clean sheets. Eren was still depressed, but it was a relaxed depression almost. They settled into watching another movie and at some point Eren fell asleep holding onto Levi tightly. Levi was glad he’d turned on the air, because his furnace of a boyfriend would have suffocated him otherwise. Levi woke up to Eren kissing his neck and they shared another moment of intimacy throughout the night. When morning came, they packed up their things and began the trek home.

“We can go back to the beach again. We don’t have to leave necessarily just because we’re checking out.” Levi said as he saw Eren looking out at the shore.

“Nah, this was nice and relaxing, but I really just want to get home and see the kids, check on Hange.” Eren smiled. “I can only imagine the trouble she’s been able to do with neither of us watching her.”

Levi smirked. “Please, you’re practically her accomplice all the time.”

Eren didn’t really deny it as he walked back to the car. “How bout we see if everyone wants to go to dinner tonight. At least round up the ones who can go last minute.”

“Sure. Once we get a number I’ll call around to make a reservation.” Levi called and text their close knit group. Since Annie and Armin were watching the kids, they were both off so they said they’d bring the kids with them to dinner. They’d managed to get most of the group and Levi found a place that would fit all of them, the reservation late enough in the day for them to get home, unpack, and change. They picked Sasha up on their way while Jean and Marco said they’d meet them at dinner. Sasha talked about her sleep over and asked about their trip, clapping excitedly when Levi presented her with a gift. It was a jelly fish that had been encased in resin. It was also supposed to glow in the dark and Sasha was looking forward to trying it out later that night. She put it directly under a light as soon as she got home.

Levi still had a hard time seeing Eren’s place as their home. He still had his place for a couple more months, but they’d been slowly moving things over, the kids rooms had been painted to their specifications and Levi had let the landlord know he wouldn’t be renewing his lease so she could begin finding a new tenant. They were going to sell the excess furniture once the move was complete, but Mikasa had asked for her bunk bed back, and Connie wanted both beds to stay in his room for now. The kids weren’t used to their own space yet, so it wasn’t uncommon to see one or all of them in a room in the morning. Levi also thought having the extra beds may come in handy as the kids got older and had sleep overs of their own. Eren had already begun to call everything ‘ours’ rather than ‘his’ but sometimes, Levi still felt like an intruder.

They met up with everyone at the restaurant and made their way back to their seats. Connie and Mikasa ran over giving them both hugs. Hange wrapped Eren into a tight hug and talked to him softly. He nodded as she did and she let him go pulling Levi into a hug next. “Thank you sweetie. I’ve never seen him this calm before around this time.”

Levi patted her back. “I had a lot of fun too. It was nice to get away. We talked about maybe making it a yearly thing.”

“Good. Good.” Hange agreed happily. “I’ll watch the kids next year then.” She took a seat between Erwin and Eren as they all gathered around. Bert and Reiner sat next to Jean and Marco while Annie and Armin sat next to the kids. Mikasa was between Eren and Levi while Connie and Sasha sat together catching up on the days they had been apart. He and Eren were sitting towards the wall, which is why they didn’t realize who was behind them until it was too late. They were all leaving, everyone heading their separate ways in the parking lot. Eren was holding Mikasa in one arm and Sasha’s hand with the other while Sasha held onto Connie’s.

Levi made sure the kids went to bed when they got home. Jean also had retreated to his room, leaving the large space quiet. He crawled in bed next to a sleeping Eren who sleepily pulled him close to him. It may not feel like home yet, but he could get used to it.


	39. Chapter 39

Levi was panicking. He paced around the dining room until Eren came in and stopped him. “I don’t think I can do this. I’m going to fail.”

“You’re not going to fail.” Eren reassured him, pulling him tight. “You’ve been studying for months. You’ve had all of us tutoring you. You’re going to do fine.” He tilted Levi’s chin up so Levi was looking at him. “And you know what? Who cares if you fail? At least you tried, and then you try again later. There’s no consequences here Levi.”

“Ok. Yeah, you’re right.” Levi took a deep calming breath. “You won’t look at me any differently?” He asked. Eren rolled his eyes.

“No love, my opinion of you will never change.” He kissed Levi softly in an effort to calm him further. “Now calm down, relax, and go kill the shit out of that exam. We’ll celebrate when you pass.” Eren gave him the boost of confidence the raven needed slapping his ass as he walked out. Once Levi left, Eren drove over to Hange’s house. She was put on bed rest for the remainder of her term, so he tried to keep her company when he could. He didn’t bother knocking when he got there, using his key and calling out to her as he walked through the home.

“Living room.” Hange called and Eren found her folding clothes while watching tv.

“I hope you didn’t carry that basket in here.” Eren scolded, his hand on his hip.

“No. Erwin set everything up for me before he left to work. I’m getting so bored!” Hange complained and Eren took a seat next to her grabbing some of the clothes. A lot of the items were stuff for the baby and Eren couldn’t help but smile at all of the pink outfits. Hange wasn’t one to stick with cultural norms, but she found the frilly dresses adorable and decided to dress her baby up as she wanted to, letting the child decide more when she was older.

“Pretty soon you’re not going to have any time to yourself.” Eren reminded her and Hange’s face lit up happily.

“I know. I can’t wait.” She smiled to herself before turning to Eren. “Be sure to remind me I said that when I complain.”

“I will.” Eren promised.

“Today is the big day for our boy isn’t it?” Hange asked as she folded a pastel rainbow blanket.

“Yeah. He’s a nervous wreck. I hope he doesn’t let it get to him. He knows his stuff, probably better than I do.” Eren laughed. “I don’t think I would have been able to pass that test. I’m glad Erwin made me stay in school.”

Hange nodded. “He’s picked up on everything at work great. I’ve really been lucky to have him there during the pregnancy. Has he talked any more about school yet?”

“He said he was going to try a couple business classes, go part time and maybe do them online so it doesn’t affect his work schedule or change anything with the kids. I told him I was there for him if he wanted to go to classes at the campus, and we looked into different grants and scholarships he’d qualify for. I just want him to do what makes him happy. He deserves it.”

“And how has co-living been? I know you were already basically living together, but pretty soon you won’t be able to get away from one another. Any regrets?”

“Not on my end. It’s been great. I always hated coming to a quiet home, to the point where I debated selling the house a couple times and just moving back into an apartment. Now I never have to worry about it being quiet. We argue every once in awhile about little things, but we’ve grown so accustomed to one another it really just seems like second nature. We talked about getting a dog.”

“Ooh a puppy! I’m sure the kids will love that! Just look how much they like Heichou.”

“Yeah. Since no one seems to have any allergies, we thought it might be nice, but Levi’s worried about the fur. So we’re looking at ones that don’t shed as much. Personally, I don’t care. I’d rather just take the kids to a shelter and save one then worry about all that.”

“Well, think about it darling. No need to rush. You guys will have plenty of time to decide.” Hange’s face scrunched. “Ow.”

“Ow?” Eren asked looking over with concern. Hange shifted on the couch rubbing her back. “You ok.”

“Hmm? Yeah. I just had a sharp pain for a second. Ow fuck.” She cursed moving on the seat again. “Eren will you rub my back for me?”

“Sure.” He put down what he was folding and rubbed his hands together. “Turn.” He instructed. “Where’s it hurting?”

“Right in the lower back. It only hurts for a few seconds then it goes away.” Eren gently moved her shirt out of the way so he could massage the area, Hange sighing as he did. “Levi is really a lucky man.”

Eren chuckled “I’ll be sure to tell him you said that. Is this ok or you want me to get some lotion? Maybe some icy hot?”

“No this is fine.” Hange hummed to herself for a minute before hissing again. “Ow God dammit.”

“Sorry, did I press too hard?”

“No, its that pinching feeling again.” Hange stood up. “Just give me a minute let me walk around. I’m going to the bathroom.”

“Ok…” Eren looked over the sofa while she waddled around. He resumed folding while he waited, jumping up when he heard her scream. He ran to the bathroom, shoving it open without caring. There was water on the floor but worse than that, Hange was holding a bloody hand.

“Fuck.” Eren pulled out his phone and dialed 911, sitting Hange down and ripping some towels out tossing them onto the floor so neither of them slipped.

_911 what’s your emergency?_

“Hi, my friend, she’s pregnant and I think her water just broke and there’s a lot of blood. Is there supposed to be blood too?”

_We’ll send someone to you immediately. What’s your location?_

Eren gave them Hange’s address while trying to keep her calm. “It’s going to be ok Hange. An ambulance is on the way. Do the breathing thing.” He told her holding his phone into his shoulder as he used a towel to wipe off her hand. He hung up once the dispatcher gave her an eta, doing his best to clean up Hange and the area while keeping her as calm and comfortable as possible.

“There’s a bag in our bedroom. It has everything for when I go to the hospital.” Eren nodded while Hange tried not to panic. “You’ll bring it with you?”

“Yeah. I’ll be right behind the ambulance.” Eren agreed. “I’ll call Erwin once the ambulance gets here.”

“Don’t-Don’t call anyone else yet.” Hange pleaded looking up at him.

“Ok Hange.” Eren made a move to pat her head then saw his hand covered in blood, deciding against it. He was doing his best not to freak out so she would stay calm too. When he heard people coming he got up to meet them directing them to where Hange was sitting. He explained what they had been doing and how she complained about a pain. He watched from the doorway as they got Hange onto a stretcher.

“I’ll be right behind you Hange.” He promised again, kissing her forehead as they got ready to carry her out. He quickly cleaned up the bathroom, worried over Hange, but also not wanting either new parent to be concerned about the mess when they got home. It was no where near as immaculate as Levi would have made it, but at least it didn’t look like a crime scene anymore. He didn’t bother with trying to wash the towels he’d used, just tossed them into the trash and made a mental note to buy them some more later. He grabbed Hange’s bag and ran to the car, making it the hospital in pretty good time.

Being familiar with the hospital layout, Eren didn’t even stop at the desk, instead went straight up to the maternity ward to talk to the nurses there. He found one sitting behind the desk and he walked up hoping his anxiety wasn’t showing as much as he felt it.

“Hi, my friend was brought here by ambulance. Hange Zoe.”

The nurse clicked a few things on the screen. “Are you the father?”

“God no.” Eren smiled nervously. “I’ve got to call him, but I was hoping to give him some information before I did. I’m probably listed as an emergency contact though. Eren Jaegar.”

She eyed him from behind the desk. “She has you listed as her son.” Eren’s eyes widened and his heart clenched briefly.

“Uh, sure. It’s complicated.” Eren said trying to brush past it. “But that means you can tell me anything right? If I’m listed as family?”

She sighed, obviously irritated but didn’t press the matter further. “She’s been taken for an emergency c-section. You can go wait in the room over there.”

“But she and the baby are going to be ok right?” He pressed leaning over the counter.

She turned the screen away from him and leaned in. “Honey, I don’t know. She was taken there as soon as the doctor saw her. I know about as much as you right now, even less probably. But I promise, if I hear anything I’ll get you, in the meantime, call daddy to be.”

“Okay. Thank you.” He said politely turning to where she told him to go, taking Hange’s bag with him. He called Erwin, hoping the man would pick up. It went to voicemail and he tried again. He gave up for the time being, sending him a text to call him asap, not wanting to leave him a voicemail or text about the situation.

He flipped through his apps on his phone while he waited, not really having the attention to really do anything, but needing to keep his hands busy somehow while he waited. He had to resist the urge to follow Hange’s instruction and not call or text someone just to ease his own anxiety or to have someone else waiting with him at least. He looked around the room. It was small with a tv playing the same daytime soap opera he and Hange had ended up watching while he recovered and she was pregnant. The walls were a pale yellow. Probably meant to be soothing, but to him just made everything look sickly. He hated hosptials, and hated the waiting even more. He kept checking to make sure his phone wasn’t on silent and he missed Erwin calling him back. Minutes felt like hours and Eren began to pace like a caged animal in the small space. He almost dropped his phone when it started ringing not bothering to check and see who it was.

“I passed!” Levi yelled in his ear. “All of it! I passed all the tests!” Eren heard Levi’s excitement, such a rare emotion for the smaller man.

“That’s great Love. See I told you, you had it.” Eren said trying to keep his voice steady and be happy for Levi knowing how important this was for him.

“What’s wrong?” Levi asked, his voice dropping. “What happened?”

“What do you mean? Why do you think something happened? I’m happy for you. I mean it.”

“You don’t sound right though.” Levi pressed. “Is Hange ok?”

“I can’t say.” Eren explained knowing it wasn’t really an answer.

“Are you at Hange’s now? I’m on my way there. I wanted to show you both in person anyways.”

“Uh, no we’re not there.” Eren’s hands shook. “She told me not to say anything, and I can’t get a hold of Erwin.” He took in a shaky breath and felt the panic beginning to take over.

“Hey, hey it’s ok. Whatever it is, it’ll be ok. I’ll run to the school and find Erwin.”

“I’m sorry baby. I don’t want to steal your thunder here.”

“Don’t worry about it. Obviously something big happened. We can celebrate when it’s more appropriate. Is Hange with you?”

“Nooo.” Eren said brushing away a falling tear.

“Okay. I won’t ask any more questions.” Eren wished he could kiss the man. “I’m almost to the school.”

“Tell me about the test then. How was it? Was it worth all the stress?”

“It was hard, but a lot of it I felt comfortable with after all the tutoring you guys gave me. I wouldn’t have been able to pass it without it. That’s for sure.” Eren could hear the background change. “Hold on a second.” He told Eren and Eren heard him speaking with the secretary. “They’re calling Erwin down now.” Levi told him when he got on the line again. They waited a couple more minutes until Eren heard Levi talking to Erwin and soon Erwin was on the phone instead of Levi.

“Eren?” Erwin said breathing heavily as though he’d run down. “Is everything ok?”

“You didn’t answer your damn phone you stupid bushy eyebrow captain America wannabe!” Eren yelled earning him a look from the lady at the desk. Luckily he was the only one in the waiting room.

“I left it at home.” Erwin said quickly. “What happened?”

“I-I don’t know.” He explained what happened while they were at home, not telling him about the blood. “When I got here they said they had taken her to surgery already, but no one’s come out yet.”

“We’re on our way.” Erwin reassured him

“No. no. no. Levi can’t come. I promised Hange I wouldn’t tell anyone except you.”

“Well, you didn’t tell him. I did. And he offered to drive me. Better I make it there in one piece, right?”

Eren’s lips trembled. He wanted Levi here so bad, but wanted to respect Hange’s wishes at the same time. “Did you know she listed me as her son?”

“Really? Well that doesn’t surprise me much.” Erwin said and Eren wasn’t sure how the man managed to keep calm. They stayed on the line together until Erwin said they were at the hospital. Eren told them the floor and waited anxiously for them to come. Erwin went to the desk when he arrived while Levi went straight for Eren.

“Hey, let’s sit down.” Levi said taking his hand gently. Eren didn’t realize how much he was trembling until Levi was holding it. Levi steered him to one of the couches and set him down. “It’s going to be ok. Hange is a fighter.” Levi reassured him, wiping away the wet stains on his face with a nearby tissue. “And the baby’s going to be fine too. If she’s anything like her mom, she’s just being really impatient and pushy to come out and see everyone.”

Eren laughed at that, imagining a mini version of Hange trying to kick down a door and screaming. He set his head down on Levi’s shoulder letting the raven pull his hair loose so he could stroke it soothingly to calm Eren. Erwin took a seat next to them looking more frazzled than usual. He’d run his hand through his hair at some point putting it out of place.

“Still no new news.” Erwin reported patting Eren on the thigh. “I’m glad you were there though. I can only imagine how much Hange would have freaked if she was alone.”

Eren nodded and the three remained silent while waiting. Eren’s skin began to tingle, recalling the last time he’d sat in a waiting room like this. It was after his mother’s accident, and he’d sat alone while his father had used his influence at the hospital to try and save her, and to be there with her at the end. It hadn’t been his father that had come to tell him, no the man was too mad with grief to bother with his young son, instead a kind nurse had come to break the news. He flinched when he realized there were hands holding him and he looked over at Levi, whose eyes were filled with concern.

“Come back to me.” Levi whispered and Eren smiled lightly. He recalled when he had said the same things to Levi what seemed like years ago. He felt Levi’s hand still in his hair. He gave a small nod letting Levi know he was back in the present.

Erwin jumped up when a doctor came toward them. Eren eyed his demeanor carefully, deciding if it was good news, bad news, or a combination of the two. He’d learned to read doctors and nurses after spending time with his father, and he breathed a sigh of relief before the man even spoke.

“Are you Ms. Zoe’s partner?” The doctor asked Erwin and he nodded. The doctor explained what had happened and Eren only half listened, not really caring as to the why, just wanting to know if mother and daughter were safe. “-had we not got her here so quickly I’m afraid I would be giving you much worse news.” The man gestured to a seat for Erwin and Eren tensed worried he’d misread the doctor. “Miss Zoe is recovering. She lost a lot of blood, so we have her getting a transfusion now. You’ll be able to see her shortly once she stabilizes and we get her set up in a room.”

“And the baby?” Levi asked, seemingly the only one of the three still able to speak.

“We had to take her to the NICU for now as she wasn’t able to breathe for a short time, but I already got reports that she’s breathing on her own. We’ll keep her there overnight to monitor her, but then move her to the nursery.”

“Can I see them?” Erwin asked, already standing.

“I can take you to see your daughter. You’ll need to suit up and I’ll have the nurse let you know as soon as Miss Hange gets in a room.”

“We’ll wait here Erwin.” Levi told him. “Go give little Hannah our love.” He rubbed Eren’s shoulders and they watched as the two left the waiting room. “See it’s ok.” Levi whispered. “And it’s because you acted so quickly.” Levi stood up. “I’m going to call and see if someone can pick up the kids. Don’t worry I won’t say anything. You going to be ok? You want anything from the vending machines?”

“Go ahead Levi. I’m good for now.” Levi walked off too, leaving Eren alone. He curled up on the couch, pulling his knees tightly to his chest. Telling himself that it was ok. Hange was fine. The baby was fine. He smiled thinking of what the baby might look like, laughing to himself when he thought of her having Erwin’s eyebrows.

“Eren right?” The nurse he’d spoken to earlier came over. “Your mom’s been moved to room 6.”

“Thank you ma’am.” He said uncurling. “Can you let my partner know too when he gets back?”

She gave him a kind smile. “Sure.”

Eren pulled his hair back up as he walked to the room Hange had been moved to. This one at least was at least a soft blue rather than that awful yellow. Hange’s eyes were closed and he treaded lightly into the room, taking a seat next to her and lightly held her hand. He saw here eyelids flutter and she turned her head toward him, smiling widely, likely still under the effects of the anesthesia.

“Hello pumpkin.” Hange whispered looking around the room. “Where’s Erwin?”

Eren smiled and kissed her hand. “I’m afraid your husband to be has already strayed and fallen in love with another woman.” He teased. “He’s gone to see his little girl while we waited for you.”

Hange smiled back, laughing at his joke before holding her side. “Don’t make me laugh just yet darling.” She looked up at the ceiling. “I suppose it can’t be helped, to be replaced by a younger woman.”

“How are you feeling?” Eren asked brushing her hair away. “You need me to get you anything?”

“I feel empty, but otherwise ok. Seems I missed the whole hours of painful labor. I’m almost disappointed. I heard the doctor say something about Hannah when I came to, but I didn’t really catch it, is she ok? I’m assuming so since you’re joking about it.”

“They have her in the NICU for the night to monitor, but they said she’ll be fine.”

“I’ll wait until Erwin gets here then. Have him describe her to me.” A soft knock was at the door before it opened slowly.

“Hey Hange.” Levi said walking in and joining Eren. Eren instinctively flinched back worried Hange was about to yell at him for breaking his promise.

“Hello my munchkin.” Hange said warmly holding out her hand for Levi. “I’m glad you’re here, how bad were they freaking out?”

“I’m pretty sure Erwin’s in shock. He really hasn’t said or done much, Eren made me nervous for awhile. He didn’t tell me, not exactly, but I knew something was up when I talked to him.” Levi explained how he’d gone to get Erwin when he hadn’t been answering and Hange sighed.

“Poor guy. He’s been so on edge. I hope he’ll be able to relax a little bit now that the baby is born.”

“You’re not mad?” Eren asked making room for Levi who decided to sit on his lap, leaving the other seat for Erwin when he arrived.

“No darling. Levi doesn’t count. He’s family. What about the kids?”

“Marco’s taking them home. I didn’t go into details, just said we would probably be late and told him and Jean to order pizzas.”

“Hange!” Erwin yelled when he came in causing all three to flinch. He was smiling from ear to ear as he went to the opposite side as the boys, taking a seat on the edge of the bed and kissing her softly. “She’s so beautiful. Just wait until you see her.” Erwin said taking out his phone. Hange turned her head to Eren who laughed lightly. Levi looking at him curiously. Erwin put his screen close to Hange’s face since she didn’t have her glasses on.

“Aww, she’s so precious. She’s so little. I want to hold her. Go steal her for me.”

“I can’t steal her Hange. She needs to stay there tonight. In the morning when you’re both better you can spend all the time you want with her.”

“But I don’t want to wait.” Hange pouted even though she was yawning. She moved Erwin’s arm so he was showing Levi and Eren. Eren scrunched up his face. That wasn’t what he expected.

“She looks like a potato.” He said before getting smacked by Levi. “Ow what the hell was that for?”

“That was rude.” Levi admonished looking to Hange. “She’s very pretty.”

“How can you tell? She’s all pink and scrunchy.” Erwin was looking at him incredulously and Levi was still glaring at him while Hange was trying not to laugh.

“What were you expecting Eren? A toddler?”

“Obviously not. But you know, people always have kids and say how much they look like one parent or the other. That looks like a pink alien.”

“Maybe it would be best if he’s not around Isabel and Farlan’s baby for a bit hmm?” Hange laughed again before holding her stomach. “I don’t know if they would take it as well as I am. Honestly, did you not ever pay attention in school during science class?”

“With the whole baby birthing thing?” Eren shrugged. “I pretty much spaced out. I’d realized by then I wasn’t going anywhere near a vagina so it wouldn’t be my problem to deal with. No unwanted pregnancies for me.”

Hange rolled her eyes. “You’re right you wouldn’t have passed the GED. Oh! Levi how did your tests go?”

“I passed.” Levi shrugged nonchalantly. “Not really that important right now Hange.”

“Of course it is!” Hange clapped her hands “Erwin go find something sweet so we can celebrate.”

“Hange, that’s really not-“

“Shush. I say it is necessary, and I just had surgery and popped out a damn child. Do not cross me boy.” Levi pressed back into Eren as her eyes darkened.

“Yes ma’am.” Levi said quietly looking down. Eren laughed and rubbed his back.

“You’re not going to be able to use the hormonal pregnant woman excuse anymore Hange.”

“It’s ok. I can use the middle aged mother excuse now, and I have a few more weeks to use the hormone excuse. Now shoo and get me something sweet. Chocolate. Very chocolately. And ice cream. And strawberries! Chocolate strawberries!” She yelled to Erwin who was already leaving to hunt for her demands. “Now, while we wait tell me all about the test.”

Levi recanted his exam, going into more detail then he had yet with Eren, telling Hange some of the things that tripped him up, while others he just knew without having to think on them very long. He said doing the paperwork at the hotel helped with his math portion, and Hange nodded along smiling. “I’m just glad it’s all over, and now I’m kicking myself for putting it off for so long.”

“Well, what’s done is done darling. Now, we’ll just move past and make way for the future.” And for once Eren wasn’t worried about what that future had in store for him.

\------------

“Levi, can I have some cake?” Sasha asked pulling on his shirt.

“Not yet Sash.” We need to wait until Hange and little Hannah get here, and then we’ll open presents and eat.”

“Why is Hange getting presents? Is it her birthday?”

“No, but it’s sort of Hannah’s, so we’re celebrating.” Isabel had wanted to throw a baby shower for her and Hange, but since Hannah didn’t seem to want to wait, they were having a party welcoming the duo home. Levi and Eren had come over early with the kids to set up, and the others were slowly arriving, bringing food and presents for the new parents.

“Will Hannah be able to play with us?” Mikasa asked coming over to hand Levi decorations.

“Not for a little while, but soon. You have to be very careful with her though, just like you are with Heichou.”

“Okay.” Mikasa nodded in understanding. Sasha went over and grabbed her hand and the two ran off. He hoped all the food was high enough to escape Sasha’s grasp.

“Erwin and Hange just left the hospital.” Eren told him, picking up the banner and handing the other end to Jean so they could hang it. Armin and Annie were moving the food to the table, Sasha following with a pile of cheese already in her mouth as she brought some for Connie to eat too. Reiner and Bertholt were finishing up the last minute touches in the nursery with Mike, and Isabel was directing Farlan from her spot on the couch as he put everything into place. Moblit, Ricco, and Levi had made sure the house was clean before everyone had come, wanting Hange and Erwin to come to a clean worry free home after some tedious days in the hospital. Hange’s recovery had been slower than the woman would have liked, but Hannah was already doing much better, and she was already a daddy’s girl, clinging to Erwin whenever he was in the room. When Erwin’s car pulled into the driveway Eren went out to meet them, carrying in Hange’s luggage and some items from the hospital while Erwin helped Hange get in, Hannah swaddled tightly in her mother’s arms.

“Welcome home!” Everyone yelled when they came in. Eren skirted past them to put their things away while everyone came up to see the new baby.

“Oh she’s just adorable!” Isabel cooed holding out a finger that the baby grabbed. She looked at Farlan expectantly. “I want a little girl.”

“Hey, how bout we worry about getting the first one out eh?” Farlan said putting his hands up and backing away.

Hange got down lower so the curious kids could see Hannah. Mikasa was gentle like Levi had told her to be, looking at the small girl with curiosity before going back and standing by Levi.

“She’s ugly.” Connie said and Eren laughed from behind them. “Why is she so wrinkly?”

“Because she’s a newborn Connie. You looked like that once, and so did Sasha and Mikasa.” Levi scolded, pulling him away and apologizing to Hange who was laughing too.

“It’s ok dearie. Honesty is always important, even if it’s not something we want to hear.”

Hange sat down on the couch, putting Hannah in the basinet beside it while she and Erwin unwrapped gifts. Isabel and Farlan unwrapped theirs on the couch opposite while everyone gathered around in the living room. Eren sat on the floor keeping the kids entertained, they ended up dog piling onto him and he couldn’t stop laughing as they teamed up trying to tickle him. Levi took pity on him and pulled Mikasa off calling the others away too telling Sasha she could go make a plate of food now which had her jumping off in an instant.

People took turns holding the baby, the ones who wanted to at least. When Armin offered Annie to take the baby from him she backed away from him. “No way. I refuse to be a baby maker. This internal clock isn’t starting anytime soon Artlet.” Armin chuckled and shook his head, handing her to a rather eager Bertholdt.

“Just holding a baby doesn’t mean we have to have kids Annie.”

“Nope. I don’t care. Babysitting is enough for me thank you very much. I have zero motherly instincts.”

“I’m not going to force you to do anything that you don’t want to Annie. I never said I wanted kids either.” Armin appeased her pulling her back into his lap. “We can get a dog.”

“Yes. I like dogs.” Annie nodded her approval leaning into Armin.

“So, basically our generation is going to die with all of us?” Reiner asked looking around at all his childhood friends.

“Psh, I’m the only girl in this little squad, and most of you are gay. So unless you lot change your preferences in the near future, I’d say yes.”

“Better that way for some of us.” Eren said bumping his fist to Annie’s in solidarity. “You can always adopt Reiner.”

“Or try to find a surrogate. And no it’s not going to be me.” Annie said in a huff.

“Yeah I guess, just seems weird I guess, none of us continuing ‘the family name’ and all that. What about you Jaegar? Want to have kids?”

“I’m pretty sure the 4 I’ve got are more than enough thanks.” Levi smirked at that. “And I’ve got a little sister to take care of now.”

“Damn straight you do.” Hange said taking the baby from Isabel when she brought her over. “And you already love your big brother don’t you little girl?” The baby giggled in Hange’s arms as Hange rubbed their noses together. “Even when he calls you a potato and an alien.”

“Hey I’ve never called them that to her face.” Eren said with a huff. “I know how sensitive girls can be with their looks. She is cute when she makes that little cooing noise.”

“You hear that? Sounds like you’ve got another boy wrapped around your tiny fingers.” Hange yawned and smiled when the baby did the same.

“I believe that’s our cue to go.” Levi said getting up. “We’ll handle all the clean up. You just go rest.”

“You boys are too good to me.” Hange said getting up slowly. Erwin followed behind her holding her waist tightly as they moved through the house. Everyone pitched in to clean and left overs were dispersed to the group as they left. Eren ordered the kids into the car, going back to check on Hange and Hannah before they left.

“They’re both sleeping already. Erwin says thanks for everything. I told him not to bother coming out.” Levi made sure the door was locked as they left, returning to their home. Marco and Jean had already come back and were in the teens room, Marco already having asked if he could stay the night. He and Eren went into their bedroom early lying down on the bed together and putting on a movie.

“I want to get the rest of the things this week.” Levi said. “That way I can make sure the house is spotless before I give the landlord the keys. I know technically I still have a few months, but I don’t see the point in waiting. I’ll still pay her the remaining months of the lease.”

“Sure. I can get Erwin’s truck to get the last of it. There’s really not that much left at this point anyways.”

“Just think in a few days it will be official.”

“I can’t wait.

\-------------

Levi looked around the room with interest. He’d come along with Eren for his tattoo appointment. He was having his rose retouched and had decided to get something to cover the scars on his wrists. Levi had never stepped foot into a place like this and was nervous by default, even though he wasn’t having anything done himself. The tattoo artist greeted Eren warmly, a petite woman who was covered in tattoos of her own.

“Brought a friend with you this time huh?” She asked holding out her hand to Levi. “I’m Hitch.”

“This is my boyfriend Levi.” Eren said happily.

“Ah it’s always the pretty ones.” She sighed to herself before stepping back behind the counter. “I sketched up something from your idea. Let me know if you like it or if there’s anything you want to tweak.”

Levi looked over Eren’s arm at the design. It was intricate and yet simple. A single blade for each wrist, roses and thorns wrapping around them and a trail of blood on the one side of the blade. “This looks amazing Hitch. Great work as always.”

“What about you? Interested in anything you see? Or I can do a custom for you as well. I’ve done all of Eren’s tattoos.” She said proudly.

“I wouldn’t have the faintest idea what to get.” Levi admitted.

“Well think about it. Don’t want anything to be rushed when it’s going to be on your body forever. And it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.” She waved them back with her. “I’ve got everything all set up Eren. You know the drill. I’ll be right back after I wash up and get some gloves on.”

Levi followed Eren into the small room taking a seat on a stool opposite where he saw supplies set up. Eren pulled off his shirt and handed it to Levi who folded it in his lap while Eren sat on the chair.

“You don’t get queasy or anything do you?” Hitch asked looking over at Levi. “I just need to know so I’m ready if you faint.”

“I’ll be fine.” Levi assured her.

“Ok. Go ahead and lay down Eren.” Hitch instructed. “You can come closer if you want.”

“I won’t be in the way?”

“No, but I’ll tell you if you get too close. People tend to start leaning in farther as I’m working. I’m assuming the same color a usual for the rose?”

“Yes please.” Eren said, his voice muffled as he held his head in his crossed hands.

“Will we be using the same color for your new roses too? Or black and white, or a variation of colors.

“Different colors, but a couple of them this color. It would be nice to be able to see it more.”

“Ok.” She shaved the area over his tattoo and wiped it off with a paper towel. Looking up at Levi she explained what she was doing, how the process was different for touch ups and new tattoos. “You’ll see when I start working on his wrist ones.”

Levi sat and watched both Hitch working and Eren’s reactions. Eren barely flinched as hitch worked, and Levi thought he might have gone to sleep he was so still. Hitch wiped up off the tattoo when she was finished and cleaned it up before putting something that looked like saran wrap over it. When she was done Eren flipped over and got comfortable in the chair when Hitch raised the back. He was careful not to let the newly retouched tattoo touch the chair. Hitch changed out some things on her station and positioned the sketch over Eren’s wrist. “Is this good here?” Hitch asked and Eren nodded before she wet it down and peeled off the paper revealing a temporary outline of the design on his skin. “It’s probably going to hurt more over the scar tissue.” Hitch warned.

“Can’t be any worse than the phoenix was.” Eren responded sitting his head back and closing his eyes while Hitch worked. Levi saw his jaw twitch on occasion, but still seemed less unaffected than Levi would guess. He supposed Eren was used to it to some extent, with his other tattoos. Hitch would occasionally wipe off the area before starting up again, checking in with Eren to see if he needed a break or not. She stopped when she’d completed the outline switching out colors. “Do you want anything else colored? Personally, I think it will look better black and white with just the roses and the blood colored. It’ll make it contrast more.”

“Yeah, I like that idea too.” Eren said looking at the tattoo. He’d reached out for Levi’s hand at some point and Levi held it in his own. Hitch set off to work on the rest, leaving a trail of red on the blade and over Eren’s scar. She did most of the roses in red, but added just a touch of the amber color, telling him it would be easier to retouch that way, especially since his wrists would see more sunlight than his back does. She traded sides with Levi as she did the other side, rolling over all of her supplies repeating the process on that wrist too, careful to avoid the tattoo that was already on that forearm. When she was all done, she cleaned Eren up and put the same material over the tattoos. Sitting back and admiring her handiwork.

“So Levi, you interested in one too?”

“Maybe, but not today I think.”

“Well, if and when you do decide be sure to book with me ok? Eren has my email if you want to send me ideas.” She smiled when Eren handed her the cash for his session. “See you later handsome.”

“Thanks as always Hitch.” He put a hand on the small of Levi’s back steering him out. It was later than Levi had expected, most of their day having been spent on Eren’s session. Jean was home with the kids so the two could have a date night. It had been a couple months since Hannah was born with the terror child known as Harper soon following .They felt like they hadn’t been able to see each other much, even though they lived together now. It was now mid-summer, and Armin and Annie’s wedding was coming up soon. Levi felt as though time was going faster now. The days slipping by them. Eren seemed off today, but he thought maybe it had something to do with the tattoos. The new ones had meaning, and his rose always made him think of his mother again. Levi remained silent while Eren drove not paying attention to where they were going until Levi no longer recognized where they were. “Uh Eren?”

“I just wanted to take you somewhere different tonight.” Eren replied. Levi vaguely recognized some of the buildings, seeing it was the part of town where Eren had grown up. Eren parked near Hannes’ business and went inside talking to Hannes and his wife and grabbing a basket from the woman’s hands thanking her. He waved at them as they left and Levi followed him down the street.

“What’s in the basket?” Levi asked.

“Food. We’re going to have a picnic. I figured you’d be hungry after sitting with me all day at the tattoo shop.” He led Levi into a small park and then up a hill to a small quiet area at the top. Eren set the basket down pulling out a blanket that was inside and setting it down. Then setting out the food for them. It was a simple meal, but it was nice and peaceful. Levi smiled at Eren’s efforts. Eren seemed to be nervous but Levi wasn’t sure why.

They talked while they ate, Levi watching Eren’s awkward movements with concern. He tried to think of what might be upsetting the man, but wasn’t sure what it could be. He noticed the sun begin to set and looked over at the sky in awe. It was truly a beautiful sunset. He jumped up wanting to get closer to the edge to see it. Eren followed, his hands in his pockets. 

Levi took out his phone to take pictures, encouraging Eren to do the same. Eren was so much better at taking them than he was. They were high enough they could see the lights below them turning on while the sky changed to brilliant colors.

“Eren did you hear me?” Levi asked turning and stopping short when he saw Eren on one knee in front of him. Eren looked like a nervous wreck and Levi’s hand went to cover his mouth when Eren reached for his left hand.

“I know I’m doing this all wrong again. I didn’t pick anyplace fancy, and I didn’t come up with some elaborate plan. I should have asked before everyone moved in, and even now it might still be too soon.” Eren said quietly, looking up at Levi with shining eyes. “But I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time Levi Ackerman. Since the day I met you I’ve loved you, and over this past year that love has only grown. You’ve been my rock and my savior, and I’ve been yours. We’ve kept each other together when other people might have crumbled, when I would have crumbled had you not been there by my side. I never thought I could love someone as much as I do you, and then I never thought I could love you more, yet every day that I wake up now I fall for you so much more. I love you, and I love the kids as though they’re my own. I love my new family and I want to spend the rest of my life with all of you. So, Levi Ackerman,” Eren pulled out a box from his pocket. “Will you marry me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy cow! 200,000 words! This is by far the longest story I've written and actually stuck with this long. Usually projects get abandoned long before they make it on here. 
> 
> So our story is nearing an end. I believe there will be 2, maybe 3 more chapters, BUT if there's something that you want to see happen or any unfinished business that you want to see before this ends send me comments, tips, suggestions. I'm not against continuing the story, I just think it's at a good place to wrap up nicely. 
> 
> At some point I may do a side story of Jean and Marco. It's still up in the air as I've never written a story from their perspectives before, but I've had fun with them and they're one of my favorite couples aside from Eren/Levi. If this is something you're interested in too let me know. Looking forward to hearing from all of you!


End file.
